Face Changing (变脸)

Face Changing (变脸 biànliǎn) is a tour de force in many Chinese operas and enjoys a high reputation home and abroad, of which that of Sichuan Opera (川剧 chuānjù) is the most famous. It is said that a master of this unique performance can change a maximum masks over 30 at a time in 5 minutes.

According to the story, face changing is a survival skill in ancient times that people make different masks to scare the invasive wild animals; it was borrowed later into operas by artists as a unique art form. Weird and ferocious faces to be changed in operas to express inner sentiments of the character, such as terror, despair, rage, etc, when the character is in great emotional twists. This unique skill is highly-required for prompt movements with flawless handling.