One of the class I’m currently taking this semester is on Chinese fiction and drama. Though the course was mainly focused on the literary aspect of fiction and drama, I was given a brief introduction to the performance traditions that accompanied these plays in ancient times. One thing I noticed in Chinese opera is the use of face-painting, an intentional design that differentiated and categorized the characters into roles.
Depending on what type of faces the characters have on, they can play the role of the clown, the protagonist, the wise father, etc. For example, when most of the face is painted red, this typically signifies that the character is good and righteous as red represents courage loyalty. On the other hand, the color white is often seen on the character of the clown (oftentimes the villain) because, in Beijing opera, color signifies cunning and deceitful personalities.
