Beijing: Peking Opera Mask Showtime

Shichahai Lake is a famous scenic spot in Beijing. It kept many ancient Hutongs and messuages, which make it a perfect place for tasting the flavor of ancient Beijing.

In recent years, with the development of the thriving tourism industry, it promotes a new trend of the traditional artifacts in Shichahai Lake and the surrounding area. Various stores stand along the street, proving omnifarious handicrafts which mostly relate to “ancient Beijing”. But in general, the real good things are so few. But what is the real good thig? As for my part, those things that inherited the real traditional techniques and crafts and developed in the following practices based on the historical experiences.

In the NO. 32 of Nanguanfang Hutong, there is a place which is called “Songzhushe” Family Art Gallery can provide you the real good things.

Although the storefront is not in big-size, the clay Peking Opera masks are renowned in Beijing. Let me brief you the story about the clay Peking Opera masks of ancient Beijing:

During the Guangxu Reign of Qing Dynasty(1644-1912), there was a Man People(one of the 55 minority nationalities in China) who surnamed Gui. He made a living on his official salary, and loved the Peking Opera. He was good poems and paintings, and particularly fond of the Peking Opera Masks. When he saw a craftsman pinch up clay figures occasionally in a temple fair, he came up with a thought that combining the Peking Opera masks with the clay figures. After back home, he made the feature with plaster, and painted it by imitating some famous opera stars. The masks were very welcomed by his friends and relatives. This is the first clay Peking Opera Mask.

Nowadays, Songzhushe has inherited predecessor’s techniques of clay mask and scale them up globally. Last time when I joined a Beijing to Xian tour, I went there and bought a black Baogong mask and red Guanyu mask. And during my Xian day tour, Shaanxi Province presents me another great ancient drama — Shaanxi Opera (Qin Opera).