Peking Opera, China's "national essence", national opera, has been 200 years old, enjoying high reputation both at home and abroad. It was form in Beijing. According to legend, in the region of Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong was interested in local drama. In 1790, to celebrate his 80th birthday, Qianlong gathered together various local theaters performing for him, of which four troupes from Anhui province stayed in Beijing after the celebration. In 1828, a troupe of Hubei came to Beijing. Hereafter, these troupes often performed together, and the two groups gradually formed a new theatrical form, known as Peking Opera. It was popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Now it's the representative of the modern Chinese Han opera as well as a opera of world-class.
