On 16-20 January 2013, the Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Troupe performed at the Sunbeam Theatre in North Point Hong Kong to sell out audience each night. Mei, Shang Xiaoyun, Cheng Yanqiu and Xun Huisheng were known as Four Great Dan in the golden era of Peking Opera. Méi Lánfāng is his stage name, and in Chinese it is generally considered a feminine name. Mei Lanfang (梅兰芳) (Octo– August 8, 1961) was one of the most famous Peking opera artists in modern history, exclusively known for his qingyi roles, a type of dan role. The Wu Chou is one of the most demanding in Peking opera, because of its combination of comic acting, acrobatics, and a strong voice. Chou roles can be divided into Wen Chou, civilian roles such as merchants and jailers, and Wu Chou, minor military roles. This reflects the traditional belief that the clown's combination of ugliness and laughter could drive away evil spirits. Indeed, most studies of Peking opera classify the Chou as a minor role. The Chou usually plays secondary roles in a troupe. Each design is unique to a specific character. Peking opera boasts 15 basic facial patterns, but there are over 1000 specific variations. This type of role will entail a forceful character, so a Jing must have a strong voice and be able to exaggerate gestures. Depending on the repertoire of the particular troupe, he will play either primary or secondary roles. The Jing (净) is a painted face male role. Old women were played by laodan, martial women were wudan, young female warriors were daomadan, virtuous and elite women were qingyi, and vivacious and unmarried women were huadan. Dan roles were originally divided into five subtypes. The Dan (旦) refers to any female role in Peking opera. These characters sing in a high, shrill voice with occasional breaks to represent the voice changing period of adolescence. Young male characters are known as xiaosheng. The only two hongsheng roles are Guan Gong, the Chinese god of sworn brotherhood, loyalty and righteousness, and Zhao Kuang-yin, the first Song Dynasty emperor. One type of laosheng role is the hongsheng, a red-faced older male. These characters have a gentle and cultivated disposition and wear sensible costumes. The Sheng (生) is the main male role in Peking opera. In recent years, Peking opera has attempted numerous reforms in response to sagging audience numbers. After the Cultural Revolution, these transformations were largely undone. Peking opera was denounced as 'feudalistic' and 'bourgeois' during the Cultural Revolution, and replaced with the eight revolutionary model operas as a means of propaganda and indoctrination. Major performance troupes are based in Beijing and Tianjin in the north, and Shanghai in the south. The form was extremely popular in the Qing Dynasty court and has come to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China. It arose in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century. Peking opera or Beijing opera is a form of traditional Chinese theatre which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance and acrobatics.