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Beijing Opera rehearsals. It must be an acquired taste. We found the music really jarring and even painful, but these three ladies here seemed to think that there was no better place to relax and knit in peace. I am embarrassed to admit that was reminded of "Ingrown Toenail Symphony", the title my grandmother gave to any piece of music she found, well, I don't need to explain.
We were nevertheless grateful for the invitation and for the chance to take a look at the various traditional instruments!
Chinese opera together with Greece tragic-comedy and Indian Sanskrit Opera are the three oldest dramatic art forms in the world. During the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907), the Emperor Taizong established an opera school with the poetic name Liyuan (Pear Garden). From that time on, performers of Chinese opera were referred to as 'disciples of the pear garden'. Since the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368) it has been encouraged by court officials and emperors and has become a traditional art form. During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it became fashionable among ordinary people. Performances were watched in tearooms, restaurants, and even around makeshift stages.
It happened to be the yearly Opera Festival when we arrived there. Many posters could be found around the street.
The figural group atop the right avant-corps of the façade, known as L'Harmonie (1869), is 7.5 metres (25 ft) of gilt copper electrotype. It was made by sculptor Charles Gumery. Opera House, Paris France