Face changing in Sichuan Opera: The faces of life

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Since the pre-Qin period (Paleolithic Period to 221 BC), Chengdu has been an important cultural town in Southwest China. But what really sets the city apart, culturally, is its opera, which is part of the Sichuan Opera tradition. An important aspect of Sichuan Opera is the magic of mask changing, also known as "face changing" where vividly colored masks are changed within the blink of an eye, much to the amusement of the audience. In opera gardens and tea houses across the town, audiences wanting a glimpse of the local culture love to drink tea while listening to Sichuan Opera and watching face changing.