Bian Lian - Chinese Mask Changing

Bian Lian - Chinese Mask Changing featuring Zhigang Chen. Filmed on location at the Chinese Cultural Center in Phoenix, Arizona. A TwinTygr Film.

[@CandidlySubtle]

I saw a performance like this last week. I hope this type of act is passed down to future generations. It is sad to lose a traditional performance like this.

[@napaphatraksaphon3684]

Annie D

[@emi62507]

It is, the art is more than 300 years old and passed on within a family from one generation to the next.

[@shuanwangdotcom]

Song name is Mask Change (变脸 lit. To Change Face) by Chen Xiaotao (陈小涛).

[@GreatAdultMan]

🙏

[@oscar4070ti]

TYVM

[@arivera4079]

i went to go see the same guy in New Mexico recently he got a lot better from then

[@GeminiAmbience]

I'm glad you said that because this is a very beginner level execution of the dance - timing of transformations is horribly slow/off too for most of the changes.

[@kimi4250]

鳥肌感動～涙ちょちょぎれたぁ～最高です。

[@hotafek]

Am I the only one that googled "Bian Lian" while reading Overwatch article about Sombra skin?

[@jackstryker2662]

"bian lian mask changing"

[@studioy1679]

No, you're not alone polish brother.

[@thefrub]

I had to watch this frame by frame to see that it's a cloth mask being yanked off by a rubber band. It REALLY looks instant at 1x speed. Push period and comma on desktop

[@williantomulyono4257]

01:27 playspeed 0.25x . Thanks me later

[@luisalvarez2519]

Thanks later

[@MatthewSomethingOrOther]

Lanks thater

[@LuisSierra147]

The best-guarded secret of Bianlian is not that there's a mechanism changing the mask under the hat, but the exact mechanics of HOW the suit activates the mechanism and the location of the trigger. Good catch, though, I didn't notice that the first time.

[@emilyseer7898]

The beauty of it is not how it’s done but the beauty of not knowing

[@misterbennnn]

King of Fighters XIV introduced me to Bian Lian

[@GR0NCH0]

Además del espectáculo de cambio de máscaras, me encanta la música, en especial en 2:30 cuando cambia a voces femeninas.

[@lucretiaelliott155]

I was watching an episode of Return of Superman and they take the kids to see this performance. It is the one they go to Heaven Lake in China. That guy is very fast and doesn't have to use the cape to hide what he is doing. Came here to see if I could figure how it is done.

[@user-pe4zo1pt1k]

现在流的泪，都是当初脑子进的水。

[@jhunneljosh2498]

His father wanted him to be a lawyer

[@machdude3366]

This guy is not very good. He knows the skill, but he his movements are too erratic and his timing is off.

[@leftyt6820]

Oh hi!! Fart wierdo dude...i am not a fan of u !! Ur so wierd!! I hate u loser

[@saltyconjure9442]

@@leftyt6820 Excuse me? I'm a Chinese and I agree what he said lol.

[@RotPhalkun]

I would where flexible LED mask where l can change to whatever l wanted. Noted: He controlled the mask with his left hand.

[@GeminiAmbience]

There are three main techniques for transformations - the one he's using is the silk thread/cord technique to pull the masks and engage the trigger mechanism. His timing is way off on almost all of the transformations in this example, though. When executed properly, you never see the change (and FYI, pull cords are on both sides of the body for this technique).

[@salsahanifa7340]

Hallo, can I receive your permission to use this video for social media purposes with full credit to you? Thank you before

[@elsainnamorato788]

this is a very good video I do it a hundred thumbs up

[@elsainnamorato788]

very good video I love it

[@nongfaacoffee6860]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@w1x3d]

This is impressive, however I believe it's a contraption of sorts and the tension used to "swipe" each mask is wound up by his dancing. And I believe he can selectively store a number of wound up read- to-switch masks for his finale... it is incredibly quick tho.

[@THE_CHOAS_ENGINE]

no it's the opposite that's happening

[@quetalcoathl1323]

el cambio de mascaras estan metiendo mascaras de luchadores mexicanos para que se vea mas espectacular, ya que las mascaras tradisionales chinas son distintas a la que estan sacando en el show de cambio de mascaras

[@it0504171]

帅

[@aliendate9259]

What is the music called

[@JVB510]

Yea what's the name of the song???

[@ngjenice6134]

Chen Xiao Tao Mask Changing

[@dpsteel1718]

Very good !!

[@YMWitty]

This same song can be heard in a bunch of Bian lian videos. Is it just a standard showcase for Bian lian, kind of like "nessun dorma" or "la Donna e mobile" in Italian opera?

[@GeminiAmbience]

It's become a classic for the bian lian portion of Sichuan opera, but I actually prefer the traditional orchestra in Sichuan opera - it's so psychedelic sounding and adds to the allure of the illusion. But I will say, the BL song does make demonstrations more exciting for the crowd - especially when the dancers start to going into the audience to show up-close transformations. It's definitely a great song that captures the Sichuan pride in the artform.

[@liliorhuang1136]

Very Nice whao

[@bluenight8790]

Look at his arms, every time he changes his masks he hides one of them under the cloak. It has some species of elastics that hold the masks in place, when the elastic cuts the masks as they are made of cloth they wrap around the neck. Nice trick easy to learn :D

[@kaoru1998]

NOT easy to learn at all! You may think you are so smart and have it figured out, but you don’t.

[@THE_CHOAS_ENGINE]

no it looks like each new mask comes from his hat area and covers up the previous mask. I too thought originally masks were being ripped off to reveal a new mask below the previous layer but the opposite is actually happening.

[@itaygross4232]

Hey, can I receive your permission to edit and use this video for social media purposes with full credit to you?

[@twintygr]

Sure, you can.

[@AliHassan-hb1bn]

Quantum physics can explain easily

[@superpayaseria]

I know. Once u get all the inner-demential relevent reference trinomical-sentrifical-expecatant-hyper'molecularal-reactive calculatory generalites this stuff hardly seems a trick.

[@wiewioraa8]

What's the song about? Who sings that?

[@badbasstrilogy]

Could there actually be two people in there?

[@Moodymongul]

unfortunatly the performer here appears to not be well trained (even his basic movements lack the flexibilty and form of a decently trained opera artist) ..especially in how to approach (as he has less condrol over) the different camera angles when performing the face change illusion. Maybe he's used to the audience being at one fixed vantage point. I think thats the main reason most of these face changes were 'visible' to the eye. He only gets its right a couple of times (the others give away the secret to some degree or other). I think thats why the families this illusion came through kept it so secret and would never perform it unless in full control of the situation (this allows the performer to better hide the mechanics of the illusion), they never used to perform it to non-chinese for fear of people figuring it out (apparently). I really love this illusion though. And how they used painted pigs bladders (and such like) for the faces (a material that allows for the true 'quick change'). Sections were stretched down over the face/under-mask and then painted+dried before adding the next mask, some of the older 'set ups' for this illusion took a lot of patience on the part of the performer (rather then use pre-painted faces - which would lesson the 'effect'). The use of bladder skin allowed for (due to thickness) many face changes and the natural elasticity of the bladder 'skin' makes it quickly *flick/snap* off the face and disappear into the clothes line (think of a stretched rubber band when released - generally faster then the eye, isn't it ;) There were other methods (the technique was 'modded' over time), and when done by a true performer is beatifully mesmerising (with the addition of movement, sound, smell, smoke-light effects and amazinly bright-vivid colours - to up the effect).

[@kiatoedits8006]

Tejina-sempai

[@AliHassan-hb1bn]

He is removing mask after mask in quick succession

[@andyforawesome]

2:28 You actually see the mask switching before he lifts his arm.

[@jackstryker2662]

1:28 too

[@dirtyproductions6865]

Please Teach me sir!!!! i really love chinese culture but i dont get these how.

[@cookienekos]

might need a lot of masks

[@dirtyproductions6865]

Thank you Neko Chan but how i do it?

[@cookienekos]

by saying kamehameha

[@dirtyproductions6865]

hahaha you got me of that

[@kaoru1998]

@@dirtyproductions6865 - You apply to the Sichuan Opera school and see if they will accept you as a student and don’t ask to be taught Bian Lian. Can’t learn it properly any other way. Good luck with that!

[@etl_undxrcxver]

This is good. But play it frome the begining at 0.25 speed ull se its fake

[@em0820]

ロバート秋山から来た人いる？笑

[@brandonmacdonald5316]

At 1:27 you see what happens

[@lucretiaelliott155]

how can you see with the cape in the way? I am trying so hard to figure this out.

[@williantomulyono4257]

Lucretia Elliott playspeed 0.25x

[@user-gg4uu2dl6z]

オードリー春日見たいな人めちゃくちゃ似てる

[@FidelisFrancis]

Timing off! Even without slow motion, i can see the changing movement

[@flparg2]

Can anyone tell me the name of the song please?

[@DeathToAllHamsters]

+flparg2 haha i was looking for that answer aswell xD

[@shadowtrooper1788]

flparg2 bian lian song lol

[@williamfrederickiversen8518]

Honestly his choreography isn't really great he looks like a typical person you found on a comic con

[@THE_CHOAS_ENGINE]

what's the big deal? No one is questioning that he is wearing all the masks on top of one another so why is this such a big deal because he has figured out a way to switch them quickly? I mean, technically speaking a ball point pen is more of a marvel... a television and the way it switches pictures is more of a marvel. boring...

[@JovinGhoul23]

It's impressive because it's over 300 years old, pretty sure the ball point pen not television were around back then

[@THE_CHOAS_ENGINE]

@@JovinGhoul23 I actually got it wrong the first time... I thought that masks were being ripped off so to speak to reveal a new mask below... when in fact what is going on is another mask from within his hat area comes out and covers the previous one up. I guess it's cool now that I watch it again 5 years later because I was wrong even how he did it.

[@JovinGhoul23]

@@THE_CHOAS_ENGINE actually, that's not quite how face changing works. It's a bit more deceptive than you might think. I've worked with professional face changing performers, I can't tell exactly how the system works, but I will say the hat is only a part of the secret. The entire clothing is a part of the mystery, and hides much more than meets the eye

[@Donkery1]

First :D

[@nongfaacoffee6860]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏