In celebration of Lunar New Year, here is a post about another series of Chinese stamps featuring characters from the Peking Opera. This set from 2007 celebrates sheng role (male) characters. Previously, China had other similar sets, including a 2001 stamp set depicting chou (clown) roles that you can read about here. The design of the sheng role stamps is by Gao Yun. The six stamp set was released on March 10, 2007. The stamps are beautiful with intricate details (look at the robes), overall a colorful palette, and active characters.
The choice of a theme or topic for a postage stamp says much about the country that creates it. Stamps have messages for citizens and non-citizens alike. For instance, a music theme on a stamp often celebrates a particular cultural tradition, institution, composer, or a performer. It can extol a high art form, or appeal to the masses. As a result, such stamps are a way to unify the public with subtle nationalist messages.
One particular tradition of cultural pride for China, is the Peking Opera (jing ju). The theatrical form combines instrumental music, singing, dancing, acting, and acrobatics in the telling of folk stories or history. It began during the Qing dynasty (1636-1912), becoming extremely popular at the court, and eventually with a broader audience. While it began in Beijing, Peking Opera is now performed in other major cities throughout China. Today, troupes can be found in Taiwan, Japan, and even the United States. Learn more about Peking Opera here.
Sheng Roles
The main male characters in Peking opera are the sheng roles. There are a variety of types of sheng roles. For example, the laosheng characters are older gentlemen. Middle age male characters are the hongsheng. The young males, however, which specialize in singing and poetry recitation, are xiaosheng. On the other hand, the martial roles require great physical exertion and acrobatic maneuvers, and are called the wusheng.
(R) Song Shijie, Scott Number CN 3567
The first stamp in the series features the character Lin Xiangru from the play The General and the Prime Minister. The story is from the Warring States period. In it, Lin Xiangru’s talent and diplomatic abilities allow him to rise quickly through the military ranks until the king makes him the prime minister. He faces opposition due to this fast rise and finds in the end that he must make difficult decisions to save the nation.
Song Shijie is a laosheng role, or an older gentleman scholar. He is a recurring character that appears in several Peking opera plays, appears in Cantonese opera, as well as in films. Song Shijie is a lawyer who began his career as a corrupt official, but gradually became a wise old of force for good and fights for the underdog. Audiences love his humorous wit and in many works he is a hero.
(R) Xu Xian, Scott Number CN 3569
Zhou Yu is a character from the play Battle of Red Cliffs, and based on a 14th century novel. He is a military general serving the warlord Sun Ce and his successor, Sun Quan. Zhou Yu is the important figure who leads his army to victory of the larger army of Cao Cao. Zhou was a historical figure who was supposedly tall, physically strong, and handsome.
The Legend of the White Snake is a comedic work from a famous Chinese novel. In it, the spirit of a snake demon takes on human form and falls in love with a man, Xu Xian. In the story, Xu is a romantic lead and the two become married. After he discovers his wife’s true form, he joins a monastery. There are several battles between the spirit world of the snake and heavenly warriors, but by the end the two lovers end up back together.
(R) Ren Tanghui, Scott Number CN 3571
Another Peking Opera character taken from Chinese history is Gao Chong. This tenth century general also appears in a number of different plays, including The Pulley where he leads a counterattack to save a battle. He often dies a tragic death in a heroic battle.
Finally, the sixth character depicted on the stamp series is Ren Tanghui. The story is from the 11th century, during the Song Dynasty. In the story, Liu Lihua, a chou character, owns an inn. In a famous scene, the warrior and wusheng character Reng Tanghui comes to the inn at night. Although the two characters know each other, because of the darkness they do not recognize one another. They engage in a serious fight on stage requiring the actors to have great physical abilities and training in martial arts and acrobatics. The scene ends when Lihua’s wife enters the room and lights a lantern. The two men then recognize each other and stop fighting.
Check out this short excerpt from one interpretation of this famous fight. Ren Tanghui is in white and Liu Lihua is the character in brown.
