Sichuan Opera - Highlights of Sichuan Tours

Sichuan opera (Chuan Ju, Sichuanese Opera 川剧) is one of China's oldest and most popular opera forms. Originated at the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, different dramas were brought in to blend with the local dialect, customs, folk music and dances. Today’s Sichuan opera is a relatively recent synthesis of 5 historic melodic styles. It's best to watch a Sichuan Opera when you visit Chengdu.

Chengdu Tourist Attractions Location Map

Sichuan Opera Highlights

Face Changing - Top 1 Wonder of Sichuan Opera

It is said that ancient people painted their faces to drive away wild animals. Sichuan Opera take in this ancient skill and perfects it into an art. Artistes in traditional costumes dance around, flicking their heads up/down or back/forth in an instant, changing the thin painted masks over their face. They do this it so quickly, and so frequently, you will be left amazed at how they could control the masks so skillfully.

Sichuan Opera Highlight: Face Changing

Rolling Light

Sichuan Opera Highlight: Rolling Light

Fire Spitting

Sichuan Opera Highlight: Fire Spitting

Shadow Play

Puppetry - a famous form to show the essence of Sichuan Opera.

It’s less of an opera in the classical sense, and more akin to a variety show featuring musical performances, puppetry, comedy, and of course, fire-breathing face changers for the finale.

Features of Sichuan Opera

Sichuan Opera features vivid, humorous narration, singing, and acrobatics. It also boasts a system of stylized movements and its acting is both exquisite and lively. Sichuan Opera performances are always full of wit, humor, lively dialogues, and pronounced local flavors.

Most Sichuan Opera repertoires are adapted from the Chinese classical novels, mythologies, legends, and folk tales. Statistics show that the total number of Sichuan Opera plays exceeds 2,000.

Sichuan Opera Telling Ancient Story Vividly

Ideal Place to Experience Sichuan Opera

Shufengyayun Sichuan Opera House, Shufengyayun, located inside Chengdu Culture Park on Qintai Road, is the ideal place to experience the local arts. It is also the only one of its kind where you may enjoy the local tea, Opera and Arts shows in Sichuan Province. Featuring the Chinese traditional opera performances, unique talent shows, as well as opera costumes, exquisite handicrafts exhibits, the theater is just an ideal place for you to enjoy the local arts and culture.

Functioned for more than 20 years, Shufengyayun has attracted distinguished performers from across Sichuan Province who held China Sichuan Opera performances each evening. The show time is at 20:00 – 21:30. You’d better to go there a little bit earlier, for you have the chance to see how the performers make up, how they put their costumes on and even you can take some photos with them.

This daily show continues to spread the traditional art to a new generation and keep the historic culture alive. Check more details about Shufengyayun Opera House >>

Sichuan Opera China's oldest and most popular opera forms

Virtual Vision from General Visitors:

“Sichuan Opera - A Taste of the Delights of the Orient” - The last item on the show is unique and shows the performers changing their masks instantly. It’s wonderful, no language problem and show last ninety minutes.

“Fun entertainment and taste of the culture” - The performance was more like a variety show than an opera. It consisted of traditional folk instrument selections, stick puppet show, hand shadow show, singing, comedy routine (which loses something if you don't speak Chinese) and the famous changing faces and costumes.

How to Plan a Chengdu Trip with Sichuan Opera

Chengdu is most known as "the Land of Abundance" in China, with three most representative brands: Giant Panda, leisure life and delicious food. Actually, Chengdu has much more charms, including the "Three Kingdom Culture", Sanxingdui civilization, brilliant UNESCO World Herigates and Sichuan Opera.

During your Chengdu city tour, you can visit the Chengdu Panda Base in the morning to see the cute pandas, and visit other attractions in downtown, such as Renmin Park, Jinli Old Street, Kuanzhai Alley, Jinsha Site Museum, Chunxi Road, etc. Like local experience? Try a afternoon tea time in Renmin Park, or watch a Sichuan Opera Show in Shufeng Yayun Opera House, enjoy a cooking class in Sichuan Cuisine Museum. Your Chengdu tour can be interesting and relaxing.

★ Recommended Chengdu Tours :

√ 3 Days Chengdu Family Tour with Sichuan Opera Show

√ 1 Day Chengdu Panda Tour

√ 2 Days Chengdu City Break

With more time, travel beyond the city center to nearby Leshan to wacth Leshan Giant Buddha and hike the Mount Emei，even you can go further to northwestern Sichuan to Jiuzhaigou Valley and western Sichuan for less-tourist but amazing beautiful scenery. China is vast and rich land, which offers a great variety of great destinations to travel with Chengdu. Therefore, you can expand your trip to Beijing - capital of China, Shanghai - modern metropolis, and Xian - time-honored ancient capital to have a deeper understanding of China. China Discovery can customize your Chengdu tour based on your travel length, budget and hobbies.

★ Recommended Tours including Chengdu:

√ 7 Days Sichuan Discovery Tour (Chengdu / Leshan / Emei / Chengdu / Jiuzhaigou)

√ 7 Days Ancient China Tour with Panda (Beijing / Xian / Chengdu)

Chengdu Attractions