Not long ago Beijing Opera was the most popular kind of entertainment in China. Even the communists could not ignore its immense popularity, and the infamous intellectual Lu Xun was worried that Chinas main cultural export to the world was Mei Lanfang, a man pretending to be a woman. But how is it that a tradition with such widespread appeal has almost disappeared today? Drama Kings traces the history of Beijing Opera and explains how performers at the bottom of society during the dynasties became kings of entertainment during the republic, just to then abruptly lose their status during the 1960s.

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Where to start: Hufangqiao Subway Station, Exit D (虎坊桥地铁站D口)

Cost: 300RMB/person