• the women (dan), that is, virtuous 
young women (qingyi)
the vain women, (huadan), 
the warriors (wudan) and 
the old women (laodan)

The techniques are never transmitted in a dry 
or thinned out way but always
put into relation, on the one hand 
with a character, a situation, a story
to be acted and on the other hand 
with the traditional history of chinese
opera and its codes.

Born in 1947, in the  province of Hebei, north of Peking, Pei Yanling comes from a family of traditional theatre artists.  As a child, she accompanied her parents during their tours, crossing through cities and countryside on bullock carts and participated in all their performances from the wings.  Later, she was trained by her father and learnt and memorised all the pays : movements, music and song. This permitted her to replace with success, at the age of five an actor who suddenly developped severe appendicitis.  After specialising in masculine roles, particularly of warring soldiers, which is very rare for a woman, she directed a group. Because of her, the opera of  Hebei, which was practically in ruin acquired a new vitality.  In fact, Pei Yanling has known how to rediscover the purity of her art by cleaning out the tradition. 
This is because she is convinced that artists of traditional theatre should continue to be literate in order not to become simply entertainers or acrobats.
 

Extract of  the opera "Zhong Kui", voice of Pei Yanling in the title role