"The sharp knife of a short life

I've had just enough time..."


- "If I Die Young" The Band Perry


I see Beauty in many things. And like the ghosts that only speak to you if you notice them, they tell me wondrous tales. With my camera and my thoughts, I captured these as faithfully as I can to share with you. And by doing so, they gave me the reasons. And though the thousand reasons may not all be sweet and some indeed bitter; they are still reasons to live. Come to think about it, that is Life, isn't it?

Tuesday 18 December 2012

Beijing Opera #1 – I Am A Painted Face But Not A Clown.



I've had just enough time to...   be touched by the tragedy of Xiang Yu

Taken of the dressing of Xiang Yu before his Beijing Opera performance


I am a painted face
But not a clown
Who moves you with laughter

I move you to tears
With tragedies
Of my own
And that of others

The world is
A greater comedy
Than that
Played by the clown

Will you laugh
Or cry
Along with me?





Xiang Yu项羽, the “Overlord of Western Chu” is a proud and complex man. He would save his horse when all is lost but not himself because he is too proud to face his people in defeat when not one of his 8,000 loyal soldiers who followed him to overthrow the Qin Dynasty survived. A brilliant strategist who won battles after battles but rushed into a trap he knew was set up for him to save his concubine. A caring leader who ordered his 28 remaining soldiers to take the last boat to safety while he stood to meet his end but a tyrant who buried alive 200,000 enemy soldiers who surrendered. He was honorable enough not to kill his nemesis Liu Bang by deceit when he had the chance yet there was no honor when he killed his own commander Song Yi for not listening to his advice. This was the King that bade farewell to his concubine.



5 comments:


  1. A 1000 Reasons
    I was sure what I wanted to do on my free night in Beijing - to visit the famous Beijing Opera. And I managed to do just that with a lovely couple whose husband shared many things in common with me - like Chinese tea and Cultural shows. So we went to the theatre early which is a good thing we did for before the show started, there was another mini-show which is equally cultural. That is putting on the intricate costume of the main character. That was in itself very interesting and informative.And the main character has an awesome aura about him and he maintained his lofty status even as the clothing master moved round him dressing him up. He is after all playing Xiang Yu, the Overlord who bade farewell to his concubine...

    ★ΞSSΞ®®Ξ and ineedathis added this photo to their favorites.

    ineedathis
    Great details on his painted face, excellent shot!

    Eyemdreaming
    Excellent! A mask is alternately sinister...and magical.
    What hides behind it is always intriguing.

    ★Pagan Eyes added this photo to his favorites.

    Kathy_9
    What a fearsome face.

    -Josh Birchall-
    great work

    ReplyDelete

  2. ★saoret58 added this photo to his favorites.
    excelente captura !!

    ★onasill added this photo to his favorites.
    :-) this is marvelous. Well defined.
    Have a wonderful day

    henrhyde (gill)
    Great portrait.
    Hidden behing the mask -is a personality and presence -we cannot see.

    ★Geo_grafics added this photo to his favorites.
    Pretty darn elaborate !
    Sweet capture ;)

    tajik rahman
    nice

    Andrew 62
    amazing image ... the face painting is superb
    I'll cry sometimes but mostly, I'll laugh ;-)

    ★Steve Taylor (Photography) added this photo to his favorites.
    That is fantastic make up

    ReplyDelete

  3. A 1000 Reasons
    The overlord acknowledges the work of the clothing master after he finished dressing him. With just a simple gesture, he wordlessly offered his thanks. Xiang Yu is a controversial figure - an awesome warrior, a ruthless tyrant, caring and unforgiving at the same time, a merciless killer and a romantic lover, an honorable man who sometimes behaved dishonorably according to his own and at times warped vision of honor and justice. But he left behind a legacy - that of one of the most tragic and romantic tale of his conquest and downfall. Liu Bang, the man who destroyed him pales in comparison much like Napolean and the Duke of Wellington.

    ★ΞSSΞ®®Ξ and Juan et Ya added this photo to their favorites.
    This photo was invited and added to the Beijing 北京 Photo Community group.

    Kathy_9
    What an interesting man - thanks for the mini-history lesson.

    ★Geo_grafics and Steve Taylor (Photography) added this photo to their favorites.

    Steve Taylor (Photography)
    He has a Shakespearean feel

    ReplyDelete

  4. MAMEDE HARFOUCHE
    STAY BLESSED, Thou.
    KISSES AND PEACE.
    الله أكبر * " ALLAH HU AKBAR! "

    ★娜 娜☂Nana added this photo to her favorites.
    霸王項羽...古代英雄!!生當作人傑,死亦為鬼雄

    MAMEDE HARFOUCHE
    STAY BLESSED, Thou.
    KISSES AND PEACE.
    الله أكبر * " ALLAH HU AKBAR! "

    ★娜 娜☂Nana added this photo to her favorites.

    Prozak2012
    Wonderful!
    Congratulations, you are invited to post your image to our group:
    Please, feel free to join us and add your beautiful image.
    中国国家地理/Chinese National Geography .

    ★Prometheus_BD added this photo to his favorites.
    Wonderful take.. and superb details!

    ★inkyfingerz and oola * added this photo to their favorites.

    oola *
    oooh Reasons... you are amazing...
    and i am so jealous that you got to go to the Bejing Opera...
    AND that you have the background to understand the theatrical elements as well as the plot etc

    ReplyDelete

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