A new Peking Opera generation takes the stage

The backstage was busy and noisy. Young male Peking Opera performers in their 20s were applying makeup, adjusting costumes, stretching, and clearing their throats. The air was filled with the smell of greasepaint and the sound of traditional Chinese instruments warming up.

Around 6 pm, an hour before the show began, 85-year-old Peking Opera master Yang Shaochun stepped through the side entrance. A few students didn't notice him at first, but once someone spotted him, the energy in the room shifted.

The young performers quickly paused whatever they were doing. Some stood up immediately, bowing slightly in respect. Several hurried over to greet him.

Yang smiled and gave a nod. He didn't speak much at first. Instead, he slowly walked around the room, observing quietly. He helped the young performers adjust their costumes and offered small but precise corrections — how to position the headdress, how to comb the long beard.

"These young people started learning with me when they were just kids — now they're adults, leading the shows themselves," Yang says.

China National Peking Opera Company, one of China's top performing arts troupes dedicated to preserving and promoting Peking Opera, on Friday launched the fifth edition of its wuxi showcase — a performance series highlighting the martial, or action-driven, segments of traditional Chinese opera. These scenes emphasize combat, acrobatics and physical storytelling.

From last Friday to this Saturday, four performances featuring young artists focused on wuxi will be staged at Beijing People's Theatre — the first theater built specifically for Peking Opera, which opened in 1954, five years after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The program presents a rich selection of classic Peking Opera works, including San Cha Kou (At the Crossroads), Lin Chong Ye Ben (Lin Chong Flees by Night), and Xi Fushan (The Battle of Fushan). Together, these selections offer audiences a full dose of action-packed, physically intense Peking Opera.

Peking Opera, or jingju, is a 200-year-old art form that combines singing, dancing, acrobatics and martial arts. In 2010, it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

"Wuxi, or martial play, is the cornerstone of the fighting and movement aspect in Peking Opera. It blends traditional Chinese martial arts, stylized combat and choreography with music and rhythm," says Wang Yong, president of the China National Peking Opera Company, speaking at Beijing People's Theatre on Friday.

"Wuxi is not only a signature element of Peking Opera but also a cultural treasure — fusing martial discipline with theatrical storytelling. It's a living expression of China's martial and artistic heritage, performed onstage with style, grace and physical mastery," he adds.

In 2022, the China National Peking Opera Company launched the wuxi showcase project as a way to cultivate new talent and introduce a new generation of young performers to the public.

"Wuxi scenes are often the highlight of any Peking Opera performance. Even people unfamiliar with the story are drawn to the spectacle, intensity and martial arts movement," says 29-year-old actor Wei Pengyu, who joined the company in 2018.

During the Friday performance, Wei appeared in an excerpt from The Battle of Fushan, which tells the story of two brave scouts — He Tianbao and his disciple Lu Zhiyi — on a dangerous mission to infiltrate Fushan Mountain, a lawless stronghold taken over by two bandit chiefs.

"It's a story about heroic sacrifice, which is common in Peking Opera's martial art plays," says Wei, who plays Lu Zhiyi, the younger scout killed during the mission.

Born in Yuncheng, Shanxi province, Wei was drawn to Peking Opera as a child — not by the music or stories at first, but by the colorful, striking facial masks that brought the characters to life. At 14, he moved to Beijing to attend an arts school, where he began formal training in Peking Opera, specializing in wusheng — a male role type focused on martial arts and physical performance.

"For me, stepping into the role of a hero or a warrior isn't just stagecraft — it's a dream come true. The armor, the weapons, the power — it's everything I imagined as a kid, now made real through sweat and discipline," he says.

Xu Zhouyi, 25, plays He Tianbao, who, despite his bravery and strength, is ultimately overwhelmed and killed in the darkness of the mountain.

"What amazed me most is that playing wuxi isn't just about action — it's about expressing moral character, justice, loyalty, courage and inner strength through movement," says Xu.

"The character is armed with double swords, a long beard, thick platform shoes — and the role constantly challenges me with demanding one-legged poses. I have to focus on every step and match each movement to the beat of the percussion," he explains.

Later that evening, an excerpt of the classic piece San Cha Kou was performed by two young actors, Wu Zeyu and Shu Jiaxing.

Wu played Liu Lihua, an innkeeper, and Shu played Ren Tanghui, a warrior escorting general Jiao Zan, who has been framed and is on his way to exile. In the iconic "blind fight" scene, Liu and Ren engage in a fierce fight in complete darkness — unaware they are actually on the same side.

The audience cheered as the actors tumbled, rolled, faked punches, and performed somersaults with impeccable precision. The entire fight was choreographed to appear accidental — as if both men were moving by instinct alone. Every near-miss was perfectly timed, blending tension, humor, martial skill and rhythm. There was no dialogue, no melody — only breath, body movements and percussion beats. It showcases a unique and essential aspect of the beauty of Peking Opera — precision, physical storytelling, and stylized rhythm — all core components of wuxi.

"At first, I didn't fully understand the character — maybe because I was still young," said 25-year-old Wu. "Then my teacher, Liu Xizhong, stood in front of me, silently mouthing the rhythm, counting the beats. He told me when to slow down, when not to force it. That's when I started to feel the role, not just perform it."

Wu and Shu rehearsed together for nearly a year.

"San Cha Kou is a test of trust between two actors. We have to read each other's energy — know when one is speeding up or slowing down. Every movement — flips, dodges, weapon swings — must be perfectly timed to avoid real collisions while still looking dangerous," says Wu.