This image was taken at the Liyuan Hotel Theatre in Beijing. Beijing (or Peking) opera originated about 200 years ago, and is considered more prestigious than other Chinese regional opera. The shrill voices and bright costumes were employed to overcome open air acoustics and dim lighting used in the past. Roles were also designated based on face colour, e.g. the white-faced character in the background is a villain, while the green-faced character in the front is stubborn, and lacks self restraint.