Only from the 1870ies on, women made appearances on the stage. Initially, exclusively male performers were allowed to participate in a play. Basically, Peking Opera never has been an exclusive art form, from the beginning it was enjoyed both by the imperial court and the common people, so a wide range of audiences from all social classes was generated. Over the years, Peking Opera was formed through the combination of various music and performing techniques. Soon afterwards, some other theater companies from the region of Hubei followed. It is said that Peking Opera had its birth in 1790, when four opera troupes from the province of Anhui came to Beijing to perform on the occasion of the 80th birthday of the Emperor. There are other Chinese opera genres that came into existence much earlier, like Kun Opera for example, that was developed already in the 14th century.
Peking Opera has a history of only about 200 years.
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