•Introduction

•About Chinese Opera

•Traditions

•Characters

•Performance

•Musical Accompaniment

•Gestures & Props

•Glossary

Because Chinese Opera relies heavily on traditional stories and popular songs, it developed into a form that successfully shows off the talents of its actors more than its playwrights and composers. In order to intensify their identification with their characters, actors even learn to apply their own makeup.

Activities: Ask the children to name some famous actors. Ask them to name well-known stories or songs. Read the children this famous opera story:

Monkey Steals the Magic Fan
The Monkey Emperor, Sun Wukong, was on his way to India with a small band of pilgrims. He wanted to gain freedom from Buddha. His companions were two other heavenly beings called Sandy and Pigsy along with the monk, Xuanzang, all of whom were on a mission to find the sacred Buddhist scriptures and bring them back to China.

As they traveled along, they came across a huge fiery mountain blocking their way. It was surrounded by scorched land. How on earth were they going to cross that? The people who lived in a nearby village told Sun Wukong that a fairy called the Iron Fan Princess lived nearby. She had a magic fan that could extinguish the fire in the mountain.

Without hesitation, Monkey went to ask the Princess for her fan. The Princess was furious! She recognized Monkey as the tyrant who had defeated her son in battle! So she waved her fan, conjuring up a tornado that blew Monkey miles away.

Monkey decided to give it another try and returned to the Princess in the form of an insect. He buzzed around her for a bit before landing in her tea, which she drank! Once inside her stomach, Monkey fidgeted about a lot, causing the Princess great pain. She begged him to leave her body, but he refused until she promised to give him the fan. Pretending to agree, the Princess then tricked the Monkey Emperor, and he soon discovered that he'd been given the wrong fan!

He was not one to give up easily, so he thought of another plan and returned once again to the Princess, now in the form of her husband, the Ox King! This time he wouldn't fail! The unsuspecting Princess told him everything that the wicked Monkey had done and how she had outwitted him in the end! The fake Ox King told her how clever she was and how much he loved her. Then he asked her for the fan, which she gave him. The Princess realized too late that this time, it was she who had been tricked!

The real Ox King returned and managed to retrieve the stolen fan. A huge battle followed with Monkey and the Ox King trying to outsmart each other with their magic powers. In the end, Monkey triumphed, and the Ox King had to give him the magic fan. Sun Wukong waved it and extinguished the fire on the mountain, which brought rain to the parched land. The little band of pilgrims was able to continue on its way.

Sound effects activity
You need a collection of instruments or improvised soundmakers; alternatively students may simply use their voices. Work with the students to add vocal and/or instrumental sound effects to the story, so that the children become familiar with a traditional Chinese tale.

Discuss with the children appropriate sounds for the fiery mountain, the monkey, the insect, the princess, the magic fan, etc. Sit in a circle with a group of instruments in the middle. Give them time to explore each instrument and the sounds they make. Assign one or more children to each sound effect and reread the story, pausing so the students can play their music and create their sound effects along with the story.