Twelve-year-old boy Qi Xiaoyu (first from right) performs "face-changing" for his classmates at school in Hami, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, December 18, 2006. Qi has been the city's youngest artist of "face-changing," a highlight of the traditional Chuan Opera that involves changing masks without the audience noticing how the performer did that.

Classmates of Qi Xiaoyu inspect his costume as the twelve-year-old boy performs "face-changing."

(China Daily December 20, 2006)