What It Takes to Be a Chinese Opera Singer

There are more than 300 different kinds of Chinese opera. Sichuan is one of them.
If you have heard of Sichuan opera, you probably know it as that Chinese show where performers change masks really quickly. But that’s mostly a tourist gimmick.
We went behind the scenes of a real Sichuan opera (without any changing masks), and got a performer to break down what makes it special and what it takes to become a singer.
If you’re interested in more stories about Sichuan, we have more on our channel, including:
A Spicy Noodle Pie is the Hottest Food in Sichuan
• A Spicy Sichuan Noodle...
Inside a Spicy Hot Pot Factory
• Inside a Spicy Hot Pot...
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Producer: Clarissa Wei
Narrator: Gavin Huang
Videographer: Nathaniel Brown
Editor: Joel Roche
Fixer: Mia Ma
Mastering: Victor Peña
Music: Audio Network

[@waitwho4416]

Boomers: Guys don't wear makeup Literally 200 years ago: hold my white foundation

[@pottop880]

* puffs powder *

[@zeth479]

Oh also... Traditionally only men could become an opera singer, so all the female parts were also played by men, dressed in women clothing etc. But now apparently "effeminately" dressed men are bad...

[@yearn1314]

Chinese opera has been around thousands of year, just the Sichuan opera r 300 years of history, so it actually been around quite a while not just 300 years haha.

[@zeth479]

@@yearn1314 but Beijing opera hasn't been around for that long.

[@yearn1314]

@@zeth479 yeah as u say "Beijing opera" babe, not "Chinese opera". 🤣

[@mcvenne8935]

As a music student, I feel for them. That's one tough job they have. I'm glad they enjoy what they do because it's got to be extremely hard work.

[@bondivik]

As a saw a character based on Chinese opera I got a lot of video about the topic and as I listen more the more I enjoy. I'm happy to know this kind of opera

[@digiishort]

it's yunjin isn't it. cuz same

[@celestialbeing-rt5yz]

It must be Yun Jin hahaha

[@mmm-ei3yi]

yunjin defo

[@egali34]

"yellow stands for wealth and high social status" "brown is reserved for older people" zhongli: you know im something of a yellow and brown myself except the wealth part

[@lyz0711]

ex-wealthy, he went from unlimited wealth to no wealth

[@jj6148]

@@ceili3734 Yunjin, a new character is a Chinese opera singer!

[@skeletoninyourbody9896]

He still has money yall he just doesn't use his wallet

[@Aeternum_Zephyria]

@@ceili3734 thank the release of yun jin for that

[@CarameI_queen]

I hate that I got this IMMEDIATELY 😂

[@sundalosketch4769]

More than 300 different kinds of Chinese opera??? I'm surprised people say it's dying out, though that's from 2019, ig it could've plummeted hard in the last few years. I hope this art never dies!

[@aircloud1795]

I think it is because less young people join

[@angeliquewu8318]

It's mostly because less young people join, because in much of Asia, and this includes China, the mentality is that artists will not make money, and parents want their kids to join safer professions.

[@aircloud1795]

@@angeliquewu8318 Yeah, especially so when price of living and raising kids are rising

[@conho4898]

it is actually dying out. The total number of regional genres was determined to be more than 350 in 1957, but in the 21st century the Chinese government could only identify 162 forms for its intangible cultural heritage list, with many of them in immediate danger of disappearing. So the 300 kinds list includes the ones that no longer exist. And the number is shrinking. Not to mention that most people only promote the major ones. Genshin, for example, promotes Peking opera, which is the #1 most popular opera.

[@sundalosketch4769]

@@conho4898 That's so scary to think about, there should be more talks and inclusions of the lesser known operas outside of history, music history, cultural music, cultural music history classes and etc.

[@elenatheartistandgamer2001]

I didn't think being an Opera Singer was that hard. Now I know.

[@sayaandyangsaya2756]

Yunjin: Nice~

[@hadassah179]

they just skimmed the surface. In "Farewell My Concubine" film you see the grueling training the boys had to go through since young. Every detail in the physical strength, stamina, hand pose, eye/face expression, singing has to be spot on and just like in shakespeare as well as kabuki it's all male actors.

[@carlamariecadizon9101]

recommended by KZbin in relation with Genshin Impact's new character YunJin!

[@nihiluosliu8790]

Glad to see this comment. In fact, people would likely to be bullied if they mention Genshin under videos like the one in CN websites. Glad to see here are fewer haters.

[@Shuhan_lie]

但我得提醒你一下，京剧跟川剧虽然看上去区别不大，但是其内核却有很多不同，如果你再深入了解一些，你甚至会发现就算是表面看上去也不同，比如表现形式。

[@carlamariecadizon9101]

@@Shuhan_lie that's a good thing to know and to appreciate

[@ryu246]

I'm thankful to mihoyo, for introducing this part of Chinese culture, I like really this type of opera

[@unofficialmajima617]

i do not care, go play your diddler game somewhere else.

[@edwardlilystark8589]

1:47 OMG look at his eyes! THEY ARE SO BEATUFUL!! You can really fell that shyness, Happiness and excitement of little girls!!!

[@cinnamonheart2577]

This is amazing and their costumes are fantastic

[@jiminisnotonfire7125]

Watching this because I was interested since Genshin released Yun Jin! It’s such a beautiful art!

[@xiolinorchdork]

Loved this super informative video! Their eyes really are incredibly expressive.

[@n0evy316]

I know chinese opera way before mihoyo released yunjin. But I got more interested and wanting to learn the culture more after Yunjin's releasr!

[@fenchen531]

Great effort from Mihoyo to bring operas to me. I know we have many kinds of traditional operas in China but had never tried to learn about any of them.

[@snaily1284]

can't wait for yunjin mains to come across this

[@minnie7103]

right here !

[@L16htW4rr10r]

Hiya

[@brownmullins]

I love traditional Asian arts. Thank you so much.

[@minhl.1170]

The Chinese opera style *most* of you never heard of *unless you're south or south-east Asian* - that's a more accurate title I think

[@foreveranon6940]

Minh L. And most Asians tbh

[@ultravainilla8380]

I really want to be an opera singer, I love Kunqu opera, but here in Chile there is no one to teach things like this :c and I'm 16 years old, maybe I'm a bit too old to start learning

[@nachoconazodiablo1234]

You aren't too old, check out Ghaffar Pourazar!

[@constanzasanzana3165]

OHH, SAME. Soy de Chile también y desde que empecé a estudiar sobre este tema me interesé demasiado y me gustaría dedicarme a esto, pero soy aún mayor fhsjd tengo 18. ¿Lograste encontrar algún lugar donde se pueda estudiar o trabajar? De cualquier parte me sirve fjsjdj

[@ultravainilla8380]

@@constanzasanzana3165 no encontré ningun lugar ;; aún sigo buscando! Lo único que he podido conseguir ha sido el traje, nada mas :(

[@kamisatoayaka7853]

@@ultravainilla8380 Lo más cercano que conozco es estudiar teatro, pero no es recomendable, se gana un sueldo muy bajo sad hjghfh

[@Myrtillepeacherry]

Since i heard it and when guys do it omg i love everything about this

[@oceanicpears]

I wonder what the odds are of performing in one of these for a 23 year old who doesn’t know a lick of Chinese and is now so interested and in love with learning more about this all because of Genshin. I took a break from the stage here in the states to pursue comics and animation but wow I would kill to be in one of these one day

[@Sisterlisk]

I think it takes many years to perfect everything until it's muscle memory, hence why they start learning at a young age.

[@wendy456]

i remember my grandparents watching this type of opera when i was a kid

[@noornajma4695]

Came here after listening to yunjin 😔💙

[@sayaandyangsaya2756]

Me too

[@XimenaZhaoArchive]

I just came to watch them do their makeup, but I learned a lot more than that. Thank you!

[@anna129]

My mum just called me telling me to do an opera scene as im a perfect fit. Wish me luck.

[@griizzlerhops633]

How did it go anna??

[@gamabunta4067]

Yeahh how did it go???

[@mrpenis3625]

How did it go?

[@marrow108]

that's so cool!

[@leexingha]

Yunjin

[@saniainez]

Stop this is getting cringe 😬

[@weebstonedplayhouse387]

@@saniainez no u

[@saniainez]

@@weebstonedplayhouse387 bro for real it's free advertising to the game and what do you get? Literal nothing? 😂 I do play the game and I do love it, but this is over the top, it'll seem like our community is filled with kids who do as mentioned. Or as we say in Indonesian, 'norak'.

[@weebstonedplayhouse387]

@@saniainez ok kid no one else but you are bothered by the word "Yunjin", just let them enjoy something 😂 and bro for real you freely advertise yourself as Indonesian for what, Indonesia gets literal nothing from you 😂

[@saniainez]

@@weebstonedplayhouse387commenting a word or name without any context is pointless wha? The people in the video, none of them is Yang Yang (Yunjin's opera singer voice), and this is even not a Peking opera? Also, I'm just saying a word that has no preferable translation in English, and I'm sure English has a lot of words that can't be translated to Indonesian as well. Technically, I do get something. People can travel here and therefore ending up in our gov's cash, then the infrastructure.

[@dorkinabubble7772]

Ahh, see, never heard the part about imitating animals. Now I’m interested to know where that part of the practice comes from!

[@sarahbell2566]

That's the real difference between China and America. In America we throw millions of dollars at actors and the ones in China make at or below minimum wage. I know that they are stage actors but still. People in China do it for the passion they feel not the money. Even knowing they won't make much money.

[@zeth479]

Please there are plenty of struggling actors in the States as well.... Acting is a tough career anywhere...

[@namedrop721]

There are literally cliche phrases here about starving actors. You must be very young or not actually in America. Are you a bot?

[@EcuadorConCiencia]

Being an actor, sportsman or mathematician is a bad paid job anywhere... Few can success.

[@reusethecels]

i love the makeup and outfits!

[@shysi]

I'm so interested in this Chinese opera singing

[@user-jg3yx8yu4l]

Income at or below minimum wage?!? 😢😢 So this is considered on the level of entry level unskilled labor, when they’re doing far more than the minimum, and performing such an intense, historically and culturally rich art???? Perhaps this isn’t surprising for those in the arts, but it is heartbreaking. Many thanks for the passionate keeping culture alive.

[@dijee8417]

Merci! thanks for the explanations and the video!

[@skeletoninyourbody9896]

It's so sad how low they're paid for such skill and entertainment. Art is never appreciated properly.

[@ecivon5314]

I remember getting recommended this a year ago.. it came back to my feed and I finally clicked

[@Deeznat69]

I love how this video talking about chinese opera while the music is western opera

[@joshuacleofe3498]

can i ask how can i join to some chinese opera

[@jellystualy]

this is so interesting and really beautiful!

[@kristinav_1]

Hello, we are seeking a Chinese opera male actor for a short film shoot in NYC (April/May 2021). If there is anyone you can recommend please feel free to reach out!

[@goongycakes]

Super informative thank yoU!

[@predictionstudio1816]

I bet there's gonna be a lot of comments about Yunjin and Genshin hahaha

[@yangjensen3221]

Genshin Impact player passing by. Thanks to youtube algorithm

[@salamox]

there are no "links below" ?

[@fedodosto3162]

WOW minimum wage for all hat work!!!!! They must really love their art. It's very impressive how hard they work and train.

[@firby7341]

why was the habanera playing in the background?xD

[@manumanubs]

omg that is so cool

[@aamu3]

all the genshin players flocking to this video because of beautiful yun jin

[@ゲリン]

I didnt know they did the makeup themself. Everyone looks so good and consistent i thought it was dont by one salon. Hmm... interesting.. It is good if the government is working to keep the tradition and culture alive. These are the foundation of nations values. If they let crumble then China would not have been as successful as it is today. Im happy that the singers are busy because there is demand ...people are seeking to view this art.. it is a good sign. Here in Japan much has vanished because of hustle and bustle of the cities ... people today dont take intrest in the culture and tradition at all... moreover people have started to consider it less important to goto the nearby shrine. Im concerned but Im sure there is fixing this matter.

[@reithehunter]

That white outfit is LIT. I wonder what play it's from

[@Nanomaoo]

I really amaze how they do their own makeup I thought they have makeup artist

[@Gabi-hx6ok]

Guy says he's been doing it for 23 years; looks as if he was 23 himself.

[@shellybrown4765]

Ive read about this. Long time ago.

[@devampitale5132]

Yo he cute asl

[@c4k3_y33]

Pov: you are from a genshin impact player

[@chizhang2765]

2:54 every one piece laughter ever.

[@azraau2559]

awww he's such a cutie

[@Sailorsecretindistress]

Pitch voice because the flute like music background

[@xima4269]

What are all the requirements to be a singer in china

[@Zipltor]

Pov: you came here because of Yun Jin genshin impact :))

[@jianxiongRaven]

cool !!!

[@Pluton1430]

Im here for Yun Jin xD

[@patpung]

I'm here after hearing YunJin sing

[@heyitzmagz]

editor Joel Roche, why the hell would you put Bizet in the background of this man talking about Chinese Opera, so distracting and non sensical

[@tonchin6941]

很漂亮呀！

[@Sarah.Riedel]

The exaggerated over-expressed eye movements remind me a lot of Indian kathakali

[@sherryhu9891]

川剧 :) 很帅哦

[@joshuacleofe3498]

i want to join somyhing like that

[@misaelvergaraesilva4788]

Yunjin is hardcore

[@Giulia-yq4nj]

❤

[@jevimelperalta]

HEROES NEVER FADE - zilong

[@3eromosele]

youtube recommending me this just few days before yunjin release...hmmmm

[@huikangyi8239]

He is a handsome man

[@alekseev1986]

Everything

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

Even if one hasn't been to China,Guess what Chinese Opera is known all around the world.

[@lokofreestyle5430]

Thumbnail = Tom Hanks?

[@Goldthread]

Omg can't unsee

[@lokofreestyle5430]

@@Goldthread 😁

[@shellybrown4765]

What that men dressed this way way way back then. And probably still do.

[@gerdapudzich-yp2es]

Can non Chinese peapole become Chinese opera singers?

[@esyqm]

Of course you can. But you need to get into drama school, and you need to practice from an early age. It's hard to change your voice when you grow up.

[@frauqqing]

3:03 what kind of cat sounds like tht lololol

[@luisaprada9139]

Why did i click on this thinking it was Eugene from the try guys on the thumbnail? LOL

[@Goldthread]

LOL sorry to disappoint

[@angeliqueroux3017]

Isn't there a way for global investors to help keep this tradition alive?

[@scaramouche_enjoyer068]

WE ALL HERE FROM GENSHIN IMPACT

[@kaoru1998]

First of all, this was a very informative and interesting video and I enjoyed watching it. However, I don’t agree with some of the information on the Mao era opera segment that you gave. I’ve done my reading on it before having watched your video. Mao was a narcissist who didn’t care about anyone but himself. Mao nearly killed off traditional opera because of his very self centered and narcissistic ways. He didn’t fund the arts in the way you think he did. Did you know that when he was in power, that only 8 operas out of the thousands of operas that exist, were allowed to be performed all across the country and that anything else was banned? Those 8 are re-written propaganda “modern” versions of 8 traditional operas that he chose. His wife is the one who had the arrogance to rewrite those 8 operas to make them fit his own views. He didn’t want people thinking anything other than what he wanted. Those 8 operas were the ONLY operas he allowed to be performed for 10 years. So, don’t tell me he funded the arts generously. There is one Bian Lian performer who was interviewed in a video that I watched, who lived through the cultural revolution and he said that because of the cultural revolution, he could not perform Bian Lian while Mao was in power and it was 20 years before he could perform again. Oh, and that “cultural” revolution was anything BUT a cultural revolution. What it SHOULD be called, is an anti-culture revolution. It looks to me like Mao was ashamed of his own race and culture. Why else would anyone be so mean and try to erase the beautiful ancient cultural traditions that the Chinese have, and their traditional clothing and make people throw out old family photographs that show people in traditional dress and throw out other traditional things people owned, and make it illegal to have them, and force everyone to dress the same. That’s just for starters, and doesn’t cover the rest of the mean things he did. What he did goes well beyond communism(I’m not saying I agree with communism.). That was just being a controlling, selfish, arrogant, narcissistic and MEAN person who enjoyed having full power and control over others, who didn’t care who he hurt or about the country. Mao was all of those things. He had no moral values and his actions make that obvious. If he had any, he would never have treated people the way he did. Btw, I am a musician. I know about arts funding. And, allowing only 8 operas and controlling what can be performed isn’t what I’d call funding the arts. It’s called stifling them. He may have funded training, but that’s not much, considering what was allowed and not. Once he was removed, things got much better for everyone, and performers could perform traditional opera and other traditional arts again and do what they love. Today, it looks like all the arts are well funded in China, which is very good. .

[@sparklecat60]

certified non-Chinese person moment 😎 you DO realize that mao basically built China from the ground up? Like I don’t like him either since he did do a lot of dumb shit but if he really was as much of a jackass as you say then he would’ve made the government in the same position as, say, North Korea

[@cheese5688]

I don’t understand Chinese but I think the opera is breathtaking, communism means of production blah blah blah

[@sextuplemillionsellersfan7961]

@@sparklecat60 哈哈哈哈哈 certified non Chinese moment

[@MagicalKid]

@@sparklecat60 just because China is not as bad as North Korea so he's excused? Talk about having a low bar. OP was just talking about how he almost destroyed the arts, the fact that he successfully built China from the ground up doesn't disprove that fact or refute anything. That's like saying it's ok for a murderer to kill an innocent person because they love their own parents so much and are good to them.

[@sparklecat60]

@@MagicalKid “OP was just talking about how Mao almost destroyed the arts” “And that’s where you’re wrong, kiddo.” That’s what they started out by saying. Had it just stayed at that, I wouldn’t’ve said shit. But they dragged in how Mao is such a jackass, why do the Chinese even like him, etc. and that’s where it’s made apparent that OP has probably never actually tried to figure out *why* the Chinese like him (slightly off-topic: it’s mainly the old people that still worship Mao like a god or smth. the younger generations just respect him because he built a nation out of nothing but acknowledge that he did some shitty things)

[@im_learning_bicth]

The thumbnail is so memeable 😭

[@ayamothy4628]

Ikr

[@PAPAYOLAGAMING02]

Zilong epic skin 😂

[@zhongguojila]

I think Chinese culture is better then Japan

[@Goldthread]

Lots to celebrate in both tbh

[@behawiorystka98]

Meanwhile mic can't handle his high-pitch singing :)

[@Junkashi]

Genshin player here !

[@crossfingerboard3607]

Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and repent you shall be saved give it a try I mean accepting Jesus is a great thing cause if you do your safe from hell you might think hell isn't real but it is and heaven isn't boring ppl think heaven is boring but in fact, you can fly in heaven accept Jesus as your Lord and savior repent and always remember God does Love you.

[@SickenedYellow]

interesting but this is irrelevant to the video itself

[@johnchan8552]

man can be women characters also women can be man in the chinese opera. The gender is not that fixed. Just need good singing and playing in chinese opera

[@ataginadurandal9948]

(ㅇㅅㅇ❀)

[@jamesbedukodjograham5508]

When a man sees a woman,something can happen in the heart of a man out there because of Miss Hilda Efya Laryea.

[@kylin3197]

變臉!!

[@crossfingerboard3607]

Luck isnt real

[@TOURGRLXOXO]

Hyperfixation alert 😍

[@Nadeshko]

PepoClown

[@nenitaschmidt7197]

A pity, the door is closed hahaha. Are u not afraid of creating a monster?

[@FINALPRECURE]

Now Genshin army raid almost every chinese opera videos.

[@tomtude]

Chinese mess up big time ,, must be change , they don't look right .. man sing lady voice lady sing man voice ,,, i want to see real man and real woman sing . no more crazy world

[@Weeping-Angel]

It all depends on your looks and age. Before, only men can perform and women weren’t allowed to perform so that’s why men also played women

[@dunzhouzi]

现在男的可以演女的也可以演男的，女的可以演男的也可以演女的，并没有什么限制。

[@kyokajirou8061]

Normie