British people enjoy Peking Opera gala show

LONDON, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- A British audience had a rare chance Wednesday night to watch the fine art of Peking Opera on a London stage.

The China National Peking Opera Company (CNPOC) invited by Sinolink Productions held a Peking Opera Gala show at the Sadler's Wells theater in London.

During the show, members of the audience enjoyed an array of famous Peking Opera scenes highlighting the various performance aspects of this glorious art form, including music, song, mime, acrobatics, stage-combat, exquisite costumes and painted faces.

The audience also feasted their eyes on the well-known Drunken Imperial Concubine scene, performed by famous Peking Opera artists Yu Kuizhi and Li Shengsu.

Pia Bittner said it was the first time for her to watch Peking Opera, telling Xinhua that she was attracted by the delicate costumes and charming voices of the artists.

"I'm very positively surprised. I did not expect it to be so great," she said, adding that it gives her a deeper insight into the Chinese culture.

The masterpiece "Warrior Women of Yang," a story about the steadfast loyalty and remarkable bravery of the Yang family, will be staged Thursday night.

"CNPOC's performances in Britain in recent years have become a window for displaying the charm of traditional Chinese culture, which in turn enhanced mutual understanding between China and the UK, and promoted exchanges between the two civilizations," Chinese Ambassador to Britain Liu Xiaoming said in his congratulatory message.

During their six-day stay in Britian, the Peking Opera artists will attend several workshops in local schools and universities, introducing details of this intriguing art form to more people.