Peking Opera celebration comes to gala end

A Peking Opera gala took place in Beijing on Nov 7, gathering artists from the Beijing Opera Art's College and the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing.

Also known as jingju, Peking Opera dates back over 200 years and was recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010. It brings together art forms such as singing, dancing, martial arts and acrobatics.

The gala brought an end to the celebration of the Beijing Opera Art's College's achievements over the past 10 years.

The school was cofounded by Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) in 1952 and has headed by a number of masters, including Ma Lianliang (1901-66). In addition to Peking Opera, the school also trains performers in other kinds of traditional Chinese opera, such as Quju and Pingju.

Students displayed their techniques during the celebration, which kicked off in Beijing on Oct 20.