The demands from various art forms call for versatility on the part of the performers.
An all-round top-notch Peking Opera performer, must be good-looking or attractive when appearing in make-up, of pleasing physical proportions, with a pair of expressive eyes and a rich variety of facial expressions.
Those that are most popular among households include:
《群英会》 《打渔杀家》 《空城计》 《贵妃醉酒》 《三岔口》 《霸王别姬》 《四郎探母》 《玉堂春》 《长坂坡》
《将相和》 《穆桂英挂帅》 《杨门女将》 《海瑞罢官》 《曹操与杨修》 《沙家浜》 《红灯记》 《智取威虎山》 《骆驼祥子》
In terms of literature, performance, music and stage arts, Peking Opera has a set of
standardized procedures of performance.
The performance in literature
With historical stories as the main content for performance, Peking Opera has about 1,300 programs, with those often on play being three to four hundred.