Beijing opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing to represent a story or depict different characters and their feelings of gladness, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise, fear and sadness. There are more than 1,000 works in the repertoire, developed over 200 years.

A lot of new works have been staged since 1949, with themes ranging from historical stories and modern revolutionary war to everyday life. At the same time, a group of outstanding Peking Opera actors and actresses have emerged, including Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Ma Lianliang, Zhou Xinfang, and Du Jinfang. To develop the quintessence of Chinese culture many artists and opera fans have done a lot of work to promote this genre, even attracting foreign audiences.