Friends of the Opera

by Ben Moger-Williams

photos by Wang Huiming

Just south of Liulichang Antiques Street is the Huguang Assembly Hall, a charming old-style building with a courtyard at the back. The main feature is the large, two-storied auditorium and stage, which are decorated in ancient Chinese style. This is the home of the piao you, an informal organization whose only qualification for membership is that you can sing at least one aria from a Peking Opera.

In Chinese, "piao you" literally means "Ticket friend," referring in this case to the people who buy tickets to get into the Huguang Assembly Hall. Every Sunday morning, starting at 8:30 and generally going until 11:30 or so, the piao you and the xi mi (Peking Opera fans who can't sing but like to listen) file into the theater and take their places.

From our vantage point on the upper level of the auditorium, a scene reminiscent of old Beijing was laid out before us. The entire audience on the ground level was composed of men and women no younger than 55 years old. They were chatting, drinking tea, reading the newspapers, and of course listening to the singers as they took their turns on stage. Those who want to sing have to sign up in advance. Piao you come from all walks of life, but they all share a common love for Peking Opera. Professional opera singers must start training from a very young age, usually three or four years old. So although some of the piao you are almost professional in terms of vocal quality (as far as I could tell!), because they started later in life they did not have the proper upbringing to be a pro.

However, every week the Huguang management asks a real professional to come and sing for the audience. Although the entire first floor was oldsters, piao you come in all ages. In the space of two hours or so, singers of all ages and both sexes showed their talents.

Peking Opera has many different schools, or branches, all of which are represented by the piao you. Traditionally, there were no women Peking Opera players, so the men also had to do the women's parts, known as "dan." All that has changed, and women are now an important part of the art, but many of the old men who performed sang "dan" parts. It was very odd to see old guys get up on stage and start crooning in super high-pitched voices. But that's culture!

Even if you are not a real "xi mi," going to the Hall on a Sunday morning is well worth the trip. It is a special part of life in Beijing that should not be missed.

In addition to the piao you meetings, the Huguang Assembly Hall also has Peking Opera performances nightly.