Explore the diverse repertoire of Tianleyuan Theatre, featuring three captivating Peking Opera programs every night.
Each performance tells a unique and engaging story, showcasing the best of traditional Chinese theatre.
Join us for an unforgettable cultural experience in the heart of Beijing.
Explore Liyuan Theatre's rich history and diverse Peking Opera performances. Discover all-inclusive packages and bundles for an unforgettable Beijing experience.
Join the Beijing Opera Theatre for an immersive cultural experience. Enjoy outstanding shows, guided visits, and interactive activities that offer a deeper insight into China's rich artistic heritage.
Explore the unique artistic features of Beijing Opera, from stunning performances to traditional music and costumes. Perfect for large groups and special event bookings.
Beijing offers a variety of special night shows, including the exciting Kung Fu Show, thrilling Acrobatics Show, and the captivating Peking Opera.
All of these performances are fun, culturally enriching, and easily accessible for tourists.
Beijing Opera, China's national opera, enjoys immense popularity among Chinese theatre-goers and has a great appeal to foreign audiences. Its origins date back to 1790, when four local opera troupes from Anhui province came to Beijing to perform at the Qing court.
In 1828, these troupes began collaborating with local opera troupes from Hubei province at the Qing court. Influenced by Beijing's local dialect and drawing from the artistic styles of other regional operas, particularly in singing, these joint performances evolved over twenty years into a new form of opera with distinctive features—Beijing Opera. This development occurred during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng. Notable Beijing Opera artists from this period include Cheng Changgeng, Yu Sansheng, and Zhang Erkui.
The Beijing Opera Institute was founded in 1979 through the collaboration of four major Beijing Opera troupes, each led by famous actors: Mei Lanfang, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu, and Xun Huisheng, who were renowned for performing female roles in Beijing Opera. The institute also encompasses the Beijing Opera Troupe, which boasts legendary artists such as Ma Lianliang, Tan Fuying, Zhang Junqiu, Qiu Shengrong, and Zhao Yanxia.
The Beijing Opera Institute enjoys high popularity both at home and abroad, with a large number of leading performers from various artistic schools and a rich repertoire of operas. It is a national Beijing Opera troupe and one of the largest performing arts troupes in China.
Beijing Opera is a complex form of performing art, drawing extensively on many elements of Chinese artistic expression, including music, singing, recitation, dance, visual arts, martial skills, and acrobatics. In traditional Chinese theatre, the stage was designed to face the audience in three directions, allowing for exaggerated expressions and unique symbolism.
While the stage is typically bare, the performers' movements or the props they hold indicate the backdrop of the play. For example, holding a horse whip signifies riding a horse, and carrying an oar represents traveling by boat. The passage of time is also portrayed in a symbolic way.
The ability to quickly shift time and scenery is a distinctive feature of Beijing Opera. A long journey can be represented by an actor simply circling the stage once, while a few knocks of the Genggu (night bell used to mark time in ancient China) signify the passing of a long night. This ability to change the backdrop instantly is a hallmark of the genre. Beijing Opera follows the principle that the performance can be as lengthy or as concise as necessary to unfold the dramatic events and the deep emotions of the characters.
Beijing Tianleyuan Theatre offers a unique repertoire with 3 engaging short programs every night. Each performance tells an interesting and captivating story, showcasing the best of traditional Peking Opera.
1. Eight Immortals Crossing Sea
The eight immortals attended the birthday banquet of Queen Mother and got dead drunk. On their way home, they had to cross the raging East Sea. Each used his own skills and power to do it, which agitated the East Sea and the Fairy Goldfish. The Fairy Goldfish argued with the Eight Immortals; and the Eight Immortals felt indefensible and pretended to be drunk and fought with the Fairy Goldfish, but were defeated. They apologized to the Fairy Goldfish and then crossed the sea.
2. Presenting a Pearl on the Rainbow Bridge
This play originates in a fairy tale. A fairy maiden (Lingbo) admired a young scholar (Bai Yong) for his talents. One day they unexpectedly met on the Rainbow Bridge—and it was love at first sight! Fairy Lingbo sent Bai Yong a pearl symbolizing their eternal love. This went against the rules of Heaven, so God Erlang led Samgharam, Baby-Faced Nezha, and other heavenly soldiers to capture Fairy Lingbo. But Fairy Lingbo led the water goblins and defeated God Erlang, and finally married Bai Yong.
3. Death of Yu Ji
Warring leaders Liu Bang and Xiang Yu agreed to a truce and drew a demarcation line at Honggou. Liu's general feigned surrender to Xiang and then successfully lured Xiang and his troops into an ambush. Xiang and his troops were surrounded and couldn't break through. When his soldiers heard their folk songs sung from the enemy, they took it for granted that their fellow soldiers had given up fighting. And their morale went down. Xiang realized that the fight was lost and indulged in his drinks in despair. He bid farewell to his lover, Yu Ji, who danced her last dance before killing herself with a sword. Though Xiang broke through the tight encirclement and got lost, he felt ashamed of seeing his countrymen and killed himself by cutting his throat by the side of Wu River.
4. Goddess of Heaven Scattering Flowers
Sakyamuni heard that Vimalakirti was sick and asked Manjuari to lead all the disciples to see Vimalakirti, and asked the goddess to scatter flowers to bring fortune to him. The goddess departed from All Fragrant Land and traveled a long distance. Four Sramaneras discussed Dharma and took care of Vimalakirti, and Manjuari meditated with him. Then the goddess came and scattered flowers.
5. Havoc in the Dragon's Palace
The play was based on the famous Chinese classic Journey to the West. Monkey king, Sun Wukong and his fellows gathered in the Huaguo mountain. Monkey king went to the Dragon Palace under the sea asking for a weapon from the Dragon king. He got a very powerful stick (As-You-Will Gold-Banded Cudgel), which could calm the sea. Later, he fought with the Dragon King.
6. Flood Over Jinshan Mountain
"Flood Over Jinshan Mountain" is an act in the drama White Snake Fairy. Xu Xian went to offer incense to Buddha in Jinshan Mountain but was detained by Monk Fahai. Snake Fairies Bai Suzhen with Xiaoqing went to the temple to solicit Fahai to let Xu Xian go. For Fahai had refused, Bai Suzhen was beyond endurance and flooded over Jinshan Mountain. Fahai also retaliated and defeated Bai Suzhen for she was pregnant.
7. Flame Immortal Blocking the Way
This play originated from a fairy tale: a white ape wanted to pick peaches in the Peach Garden for his ailing mother, but was blocked enroute by the Flame Immortal. The white ape finally.
8. Eighteen Arhats Fighting Wu Kong
This play is based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West. Sun Wu Kong wreaked havoc in Heaven and was thrown into the Eight Trigram stove of the Supreme Lord Laotse. Unexpectedly, Sun Wu Kong was not burned to death under the high temperature, but instead his eyes became fiery and his pupils golden. He broke the stove and fled Heaven. The Jade Emperor then asked the help of Buddha, and Buddha led the eighteen Arhats to capture Wu Kong. Wu Kong, using his magical powers, defeated the eighteen Arhats and returned to the Mountain of Flower and Fruit.
9. Pick Up the Jade Bracelet
During the Ming Dynasty, a young scholar named Fu Peng admired and fell in love with Sun Yujiao, a beautiful young girl. He deliberately dropped his jade bracelet in front of Sun's house. This, however, was seen by Madam Liu, a matchmaker, who later asked Sun for an embroidered shoe as a love token, and promised to act as matchmaker for the two youths.
10. Autumn River
In Song Dynasty, Scholar Pan Bizheng, nephew of the old nun, while preparing for the official test at the nunnery, became acquainted and fell in love with Chen Miaochang, a young and well-educated nun. The old nun was furious and forbade them to continue their relationship, finally forcing Pan Bizheng to leave for Linan. After hearing this, Chen ran away from the nunnery in pursuit of Pan Bizheng. By the side of the Qiujiang River, she looked anxiously for a ferry boat. She met a jocular, elderly boatman, who intentionally delayed her with tricks. At last, the boatman helped Chen Miaochang catch up with her lover.
11. Stopping the Horse
In BeiSong Dynasty, Yang Ba-jie (the 8th sister), under the orders of She Taijun (Grandma She), dressed as a man, sneaked into Liao barracks to collect military information. On her way home, she was stopped by innkeeper Jiao Guang-pu, soliciting her into his inn. Thinking that her true identity had been discovered, Yang Ba-jie wanted to kill the innkeeper. After a struggle, she discovered that Jiao Guang-pu was a general of the NanSong Dynasty staying in the Liao Kingdom because of war. With only one pass permit, Yang Ba-jie asked him to pretend to be her groom, and they went back together to NanSong hometown.
12. Stealing Silver in Storage
After Bai Suzhen (the white snake) married Xu Xian, she asked Xiao Qing (the green snake) to steal silver in the storage of Qiantang County. Xiao Qing defeated the storehouse guards and stole the silver.
13. The Crossroads
Jiao Zan, a senior officer of the Song Dynasty, was exiled under guard to Shamen Island, for killing a treacherous court official. Marshal Yang ordered Ren Tanghui to protect Jiao in secret. Ren and Jiao spent the night at the Crossroad Inn. Innkeeper Liu Lihua believed that Ren intended to murder Jiao, so he stole into Ren's room and fought with him in the dark. Only when the innkeeper's wife came in with a candle did the three realize the misunderstanding.
14. Hu Village
This play is drawn from the Chinese classic Outlaws of the Marshes. Song Jiang led the rebels of Liangshan Mountain to attack Zhu Village. Hu Sanniang, the fiancée of Zhu Biao, of the neighboring Hu Village, came to the rescue and captured Wang Ying, one of the rebels. He was later captured himself by Lin Chong, another of the rebels. This play lays much emphasis on the singing and acting of the lady warrior as well as on the dances of the Peking Opera.
15. Stealing Immortal Herbs
This is an episode of The Romance of the White Snake. On the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, Xu Xian advised his wife, Bai Suzhen the white Snake Lady, to drink some medicated wine. At her dead drunkenness, Bai showed herself in her true colors: a white snake. At the sight of this, Xu died of fright. To revive her husband, Bai went to the Forbidden Mountains to steal magic herbs. There she fought with the guards, crane boys, and deer boys—and found the herbs she wanted and revived Xu.
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