Chinese Club: Peking Opera

ARIS embraces diversity! This Academic Year, we have started a club called the “Chinese Club” at the ARIS Primary Campus, where Mandarin is one of the 6 Foreign Languages taught. Headed by our Mandarin Facilitator, Mr. Young, the Chinese Club is for students to explore more into Chinese culture, art, music, food and much more!

Last week, with Peking Opera as the theme, the members of the Chinese Club studied about Peking Opera facial makeup and made their own Peking Opera Masks and they look absolutely beautiful!

What is Peking Opera? It is one of the four quintessential elements of Chinese culture. It has its own unique oriental charm. One of the distinguishing elements of the Peking Opera is the facial makeup, which has specific Chinese cultural characteristics.

The Peking Opera roles are classified to Sheng (main male role), Dan (female role), Jing (painted face – male role) and Chou (male clown). The makeup or face-painting for each of these characters are different based. The facial makeup in itself plays a role in the drama in the Peking Opera.

Upon this discovery, the students took up the project of making their own Peking Opera masks with the distinct art, brush strokes and expressions, and how! Take a look at these masks yourself, and you will be in awe!

The students, each week, get to discover something new and exciting about a different culture! Stay tuned for more insights!