Peking Opera and Most Recommended Peking Opera Theaters

Peking Opera, as the quintessence of China, displays the unique Chinese culture to the whole world. Beijing opera is a combination of acrobatics, singing and dancing. The distinguishing aria of Beijing opera is impressive, and the costumes and masks are quite charming. Read more details about Peking Opera.

Peking opera show is becoming a trademark persormance at the teahouses, and hanging out at teahouses is becoming popular with the city's white-collar workers and even among trendy youngsters. You should never miss it when have a tour in Beijing.

Most Famous and Recommended Peking Opera Theaters

The Liyuan Theater

Located in Jianguo Hotel Qianmen is the Liyuan Theatre. The theatre is one the most famous a venue for Peking Opera shows, which can hold thousands of audience. The theatre tables are old fashion squared table (Ba Xian Zuo) made for eight people. Audience also have chance to taste snacks and also famous Chinese Tea(名茶) whiles enjoying the Peking Opera Performance. Beside, tasting snacks and also drinking tea while watching the show, the audience chances of entering the make-up rooms to see how actors and actresses make up their faces are at high. Also at the sales displays, one is allowed to take pictures with actors and actresses or even dress in opera costume to take pictures.

Peking Opera Schedule: 19:30 p.m. to 20:45 p.m. daily
Ticket Fare: CNY200/280/380/480/580
Address: No.175 Yongan Road, Xuanwu District
Bus Route: 6, 15, 822 (get off at Yongan Lu Stop)

Laoshe Teahouse

Lao She Tea House, founded in 1988 was named after a famous Chinese Novelist and Dramatist, Mr. Lao She because of one of his famous novels about the Tea house. The tea house is one of the Chinese traditional entertainment places in Beijing with a service area of 2,600 square meters providing an antique-flavor where once can catch up with friends and family for Chinese tea while watching Beijing Opera ,Acrobatic Show and some folk arts and drama. They also serve dishes.

Show starts from 7:50pm-9:20pm Address: Qian Men West Avenue, Xuanwu District, Beijing
Tel: 010-63017454 Transportation:
Take bus routes 5, 10, 110, 120 and take off at Qianmen stop, or take subway Line 2 and take off at Qianmen station.

Meilanfang Theater

The theatre was established in 2007, in honored of the most famous Beijing Opera Master- Mei Lanfang (1894~1961). The 13,000 square meters with five storeys and two underground is located in the golden area of the southeast of Guan Yuan cloverleaf in Beijing holding 1008 capacity of audience.
The theatre is not only a house for Beijing Opera shows but also houses the bronzes of scrupture Mei Lanfang at the centre of the lobby. And also sculpture of Emperor Tang Minghuang the ‘father of Chinese Opera’ found in different places. The sculpture is prayed for a good luck before performers step on stage.

Ticket Fare: CNY50~2080
Address: No.32, Ping'anli Xi Dajie, Xicheng District
Tel 010-58331211, 58331288

Beijing Opera Theater

Beijing Opera Theater is the best place to experience and a taste of Ancient Beijing. The theater is located in a hutong south of Tiananmen Square, holding capacity of 1,000 people. Opera Performances are held on Fridays, Weekends and sometimes on other official Chinese holidays. The amount charge here is relatively cheap compared to other opera theaters.

Address: 8/F, Beijing Opera Troupe Office Building, No.22, Ping'anli Xi Dajie, Xicheng District
Bus Route: 108, 107, 718

Chang'an Grand Theater

The Chang’an Grand Theatre has developed into one of the most comfortable and high-level theaters, which is located on east Chang'an Avenue, a major through route of Beijing taking the place of the original theatre which was in Xidan Business Street. The theater was opened in 1996 which occupies 800 seats with the combination of Chinese architecture and modern technology including movable of stage, an orchestra pit, computerized control lighting system and state-of-art sound systems all supporting Ancient Chinese operas with other type of performance.

The seats of Chang’an Grand Theatre are of various choices to choose from. the front back area constitute the tea house and the rowed seats respectively, the VIP box, common box and the rowed seats on the second floor.

Also Calligraphy, facial make up, painting and video are sold on the first floor, with Photos of Beijing Opera Masters and costume for different roles are exhibited on the second floor of the lobby.

Address: No.7 Jianguomennei Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing.
Telephone: 010 –65101308 65101309 65101155-3080
Open Time: 09:00-21:30
Ticket Fare: CNY80/100/180/280/380
Bus Route: 3, 9, 10, 20, 37, 57, 52, 403, 802, 808 (get off at Beijing Railway Station Stop) 48, 120, 54, 938, 930 (get off at Dongdan Stop)

Tianqiao Theater

The three storey theater was first theatre to be completed in 1953 after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. March 2001 was the completion of the new Tianqiao theatre located at the southern part of Beijing, seating a capacity of 1200 people. Performances start from the hours of 7:15pm to 8:45pm

The first-class theater is a professional theatre for Opera in Beijing, with a high-level and multi-functional stage, not to mention its lighting and audio systems meeting the requirements for all performances, like dance, drama and orchestra.

Address: No. 30, Bei Wei Lu, Xuanwu District, Beijing
Tel: 010-83156170,010-83156172Ticket Price: RMB 180, RMB 280, RMB 380
Take No. 826, 105, 69, 20,59,729 and get off at Tiantan station.