Bangzi facts

Hebei Bangzi Opera is the main type of drama in Hebei province and was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in May 2006.

The name Hebei Bangzi Opera was adopted in 1952, and the style is popular in Beijing, Tianjin, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, and Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Shandong provinces, according to Hebei's government website.

The history of the style dates back to the early 19th century, and it is derived from Qinqiang and Shanxi Bangzi operas, which were introduced to Hebei in the middle of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). At its peak, it was as famous as Peking Opera.

The Beijing dialect is used, and the division of roles and performance style are similar to those in

Peking Opera. Characters include Sheng (male), Dan (female), Jing (male with a strong personality) and Chou (comical figure).

The repertoire includes more than 500 traditional and 200 contemporary plays, and the number of the latter is growing.

Famous traditional works include The Butterfly Cup (Hudie Bei), The Magic Lotus Lantern (Baoliandeng), and The Unwilling Concubine (Chen Sanliang).