THE characteristically colorful Peking Opera masks emerged around 1894.A man of the Manchu ethnic group with the last name of Gui,who ardently loved Peking Opera.One day,he saw clay figurines in a temple fair,and at that moment an inspiration came to him to use a puddle to make a face-shaped mold.After making the mold,he dried it in the sun,and drew outlines and colored it according to the facial make-up of Peking Opera actors on the stage.For his creation,Gui became famous among Peking Opera fans in Beijing and was called“Painted face Gui”thereafter.
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