Tibetan Opera, also called Ace Lhamo in Tibetan, is an ancient art form that has developed over the centuries. Hailed as "the living fossil of traditional Tibetan culture", it boasts a history of more than 600 years -- about 400 years longer than China's national treasure, the Peking Opera .

The Tibetan people have long cherished this important folk art, which has become a source of identity for them. It is said that wherever you find Tibetan people, you will find Tibetan Opera.

Tibetan people's 'fairy sisters'

There is a beautiful legend about the Tibetan Opera in its present form. During the 14th century, a high-ranking monk and bridge builder named Drupthok Thangthong Gyalpo decided to build iron bridges across all of the major rivers in Tibet to improve transportation and facilitate pilgrimages.

To fund the project, Thangthong Gyalpo created a singing and dancing group of seven beauties who danced while he played the cymbals and drums. They performed throughout Tibet to earn money for his bridge project. This is believed to be the source of the present Tibetan Opera.

Tibetan Opera became known in the local language as Ace Lhamo ("fairy sisters"), and Thangthong Gyalpo himself is considered as the father of Tibetan Opera.

To honor the great founding father, a blessing of his statue always precedes each Lhamo and usually ends with the presentation of the hada (a strip of raw silk or linen used for ritual greetings) by the performers and audience members.

From ritual dances to cultural syncretism

However, some say the origin of Tibetan Opera goes back a millennium to Tibetan ritual dances and early Indian Buddhist drama. Since Buddhist teachings and Tibetan history have provided the inspiration for Tibetan Opera, most of its repertoire is based on Buddhist stories and Tibetan history.

According to Tibetan historical records, when Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) was married to the Tibetan King Songtsan Gambo, she brought the costumes, music and dances of the Han people to Tibet, which were greatly admired by the king. In response, he had 16 beautiful girls trained in an art form combining the Han-style and Tibetan folk music and dancing to entertain the princess.

In the eighth century, the Tibetan King Khrisong Detsan became a follower of Buddhism under the influence of his mother, Princess Jincheng of the Tang Dynasty. He invited the Lotus-Born Monk from India to spread Buddhism throughout Tibet and built the Samye Monastery. At the inauguration ceremony, a pantomimic dance show based on the deity worship ritual of the Bon religion (a native religion of Tibet) and Tibetan folk dances were staged.

During the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama in the 17th century, this performing art was separated from religious rituals and became an independent dramatic form. What started off as pantomime evolved into a structured art of song, dance, chants and narration, accompanied by flamboyant masks. Story lines included the nation's history, ancient legends of heroes and Gods and satires on current events. The tradition was passed down from one generation to the next, developing into Tibetan opera, which was popularized throughout the region.

"As the opera matured it became increasingly complex in structure, containing many literary strands," said Zhaxi, director of the Tibetan Opera Troupe of the Tibetan Autonomous Region . "The stories depicted are very beautiful. It also has absorbed many local dances and other art forms and there is always a light-hearted humor in it that appeals to audiences."

Lavish, flamboyant and over the top

Traditionally, the Tibetan Opera theater was an open circular space sheltered by a canopy, with the stage defined by a magical circle and central altar .

Over the centuries, the opera has formed a three-part stage process. In the prelude, known as "Wenbadun," Wenba men in blue masks, two Jialu men and several fairies take the stage to perform religious rituals and songs and dances, and introduce the actors and actresses. Next, a narrator explains the plot, section by section, as the opera is being performed, episode by episode. In the absence of a realistic setting and props, the narrator's words must conjure up the stage effects in the audience's imagination. Two musicians -- a drummer and a cymbalist -- sit on the side of the stage. An idiosyncratic drumbeat, accompanied by a specific dance step, identifies each character. The performance ends with a blessing ritual that features a blessing ceremony and is also an occasion to present hada and donations from the audience members.

Tibetan Opera costumes are very lavish, with rich brocades and a striking variety of masks and animal motifs. The musical score is created entirely by the drum and cymbals that punctuate every movement, and by the singing actors. The rapidly chanted narration alternates with the sung dialogues repeated in the chorus. The dance movements are refined, exaggerated and vigorous.

The highlight of Tibetan Opera is the mask. Located on the front of the mask is usually a motif, such as the sun or moon. The role of the actor can be identified from the type of mask he or she is wearing. For example, a red mask represents the king; a green, the queen; a yellow, Lamas and deities, etc.

Tibetan Opera call for skills in singing, dancing, elocution and the martial arts. Historical pageantry, myth and magic are woven together with earthly humor and scenes from the daily lives of ordinary people. The primitive simplicity and vigor demonstrated in the singing and dancing is effectively reflected in the typical Tibetan landscape backdrops.
Today, changes have taken place in the structure, singing, dancing, masks and stage format of Tibetan Opera; an orchestra, backdrop, lighting and make-up have also been added. Tibetan opera is now also performed both in the open air and indoors.

Four schools and eight great classical operas

Today, Tibetan Opera has four schools:

1. The Goinba School

The Goinba School, originating in Ngamring and Lhaze counties, features high-pitched and sonorous singing, mixed with songs and dances from the Doi area, and traditional acrobatics .

2. The Gyanggar School

The Gyanggar School is popular in Rinbung, Gyangze and Xigaze. It is characterized by an ancient, rugged and solemn style derived from Lamaism.

3. The Xangba School

The Xangba School from western Tibet combines the influence of local folklore and the Gyanggar School.

4. The Gyormolung School

The Gyormolung School from the Shannan and Lhasa areas is the most recent school to be established. Specializing in singing, choreography, stunts and comic effects, it is the most developed among the four schools and has formed a jubilant style with rich and colorful songs and dances. Today, Gyormolung troupes are active in different parts of Tibet and are even known in Sichuan's Garze region, India and Bhutan.

Tibetan Opera reflects the Tibetan people's lives from various periods. The original scripts from which the opera was adapted have remained popular readings among Tibetans for centuries. Currently there are about 20 traditional repertoires (although some of the scripts have been lost and only the names and some of the plots remain). The famous Eight Great Classical Tibetan Operas include Prince Nor-bzang, Maiden Vgro-ba-bzang-mo, Brothers Don-yod and Don-grub, Prince Dri-med-Kun-idan, Princess Wencheng, Gzugs-kyi-nyi-ma, Pad-ma-vod-vba and Maiden Shang-sa, most of which were derived from historic events, famous lives, folk tales and stories from the sutras.

Having gone through hard times

Throughout the ages Tibetan Opera has played a central role in the life of the Tibetan people. It features prominently in a number of Tibetan festivals and temple fairs, some of which are specifically designed for it, such as the Shoton Festival, also known as Yoghurt Festival. By the 19th century most districts in Tibet had their own opera troupes. It spread from Shannan, Xigaze and Lhasa to other parts of Tibet, and further into southwest China's Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, northwest China's Qinghai and Gansu provinces, as well as into neighboring India, Bhutan and Nepal.

However, Tibetan Opera, boasting the longest history among the few other folk operas of Chinese ethnic minorities, was once on the verge of fading away in the 20th century like any other traditional folk art.

In Qomolang Village, "hometown of Tibetan Opera", 65-year-old Cangjue still has vivid memory of the hardship they went through the last century. She was once the only female master artist of the former Qomolang Village Tibetan Opera Troupe, popular throughout the Tibetan region. "As a toddler, I followed my parents around, performing for meager returns. My stomach was often filled with nothing. Later I joined the village troupe. We used to perform in Lhasa and neighboring areas in summer. When winter came, we had to trek to Nepal and India. The trips were hard."

During the 600-year of development, Tibetan people created about 20 traditional repertoires, but unfortunately some of the play scripts have been lost, and only the names, and sometimes the plots, are remembered today.

According to the elders in Qomolang Village, the former village troupe was able to play the famous Eight Great Classical Tibetan Operas; however, the troupe that produced many master performers of Tibetan Opera disbanded years ago when hard times hit, like many other village troupes.

Because of the passing away of elder artists and a drain in the reserves of traditional works as well as excellent performers, when the Tibetan Opera Troupe was established in 1960, most original audio and video materials of Tibetan Opera were lost, including some of the Eight Classics. In the 1990s, some troupes had to cut down their performances due to unaffordable cost of costumes and props, and some tried to attracting audiences by absorbing "pop dances and songs", which, as a result, accelerated the phasing-out of Tibetan Opera.

Rebirth of the legendary opera

To salvage and preserve the threatened unique Tibetan art, a nationwide rescue program was launched in recent years.

Now, most village troupes can perform their Eight Great Classical Operas, and Tibetan Opera plays an active role in all kinds of national theatrical works competitions. Benefited from modern media advances, VCDS, DVD and CD-Rom, etc. of Tibetan opera have been issued. With the help of the government, Tibetan Opera have toured Japan, the United States and other countries and is seen as a treasure of Chinese ethnic art.

Tibetan Opera returned to Qomolang Village in 2002, with the re-establishment of the current village troupe by local government and people.

You can always find an old man active in the training of the new troupe. He is Grandpa Dorje, 66 years old. The old man gets excited each time talking about the day in 1964 when he performed at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing . "Most of the 28 young performers have never received any training in the performing art, but I believe they can succeed."

To the village head Gaisang Nyima, "as the standard of living improves, we are demanding a richer cultural life".

It was fortunate that the legendary Tibetan Opera with strong Tibetan characteristics has been preserved in an intact way throughout history. The government of China's Tibetan Autonomous Region is busy preparing for Tibetan Opera to be listed as a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

The UNESCO proclaimed Kunqu Opera -- the oldest opera with a history of over 1,000 years -- a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001. However, no ethnic art tradition has been honored since then.

Today, Tibetan Opera is also becoming increasingly recognized in other parts of China and beyond. The opera has toured Japan, the United States and other countries, where it is regarded as a treasure of Chinese ethnic art.

Basang, an actress with the Tibetan Opera Troupe, said with great enthusiasm. "Tibetan Opera has a very large audience, not only in Tibet, but in other parts of China and across the world. Although many of the audience can't understand the lyrics, they can understand the performances through the songs and dances. I'm optimistic about the future of Tibetan Opera."