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Alice Yan

Known as China’s earliest magic, bian lian, or face-changing, is the most mysterious form of drama in the traditional Chinese opera genre.
It involves performers instantaneously changing one set of facial make-up for another.
They change their faces so quickly that even audience members who glue their eyes to the performer throughout the process are unable to work out how they do it.
An important part of Sichuan opera, a traditional drama which has been popular in southwestern Sichuan province for centuries, the face-changing art has already been included as one of China’s intangible cultural heritages.
Scaring animals

It is claimed that in ancient times, people wore strikingly-coloured masks to frighten off dangerous animals.
Later the face masks were adopted by Sichuan opera, while performers use face changing to reveal characters’ thoughts and emotions.
There is no publicly-available literature or other information recognised by the authorities which explains the secrets of this unique technique.
It became the only art in China’s opera industry recognised as a grade-two national secret by the Ministry of Culture in 1987.
This secret status was invalidated with the promulgation of the country’s State Secrets Protection Law in the late 1980s.
This law does not define the face-changing performance as a state secret as it is not related with state security or state interests, nor does it involve specific people or a confidentiality period.
State secrets
The methods used remain a secret within the industry.
It is widely believed that performers place silk-made masks layer-on-layer on their faces and use hidden thin threads to effect the changes.
Performers also used forms of deflection and audience misguidance as they change their faces and hide the older mask in their costumes.
Travellers to Sichuan can enjoy such performances at various venues, ranging from professional Sichuan opera theatres, tourist spots to big restaurants.
Most face-changing performers can change several faces during a single show.

Mask master
The most renowned face-changing master is Peng Denghuai, who was born in 1946.
His name appears in the Guinness World Records list for changing 14 faces within 25 seconds. Peng has performed face-changing in dozens of countries over the past three decades.
“I love watching the face-changing performance. It is so magical!” one online observer said on Douyin, adding: “The rationale behind it is known to all, but we can’t do it because it requires plenty of hard work.”
“They are not the quickest ones. My wife changes her face more quickly, haha,” joked another person.


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Bewitching art form considered a state secret until 1980s
Speed and dexterity of performers fools even most attentive audiences


An ancient form of traditional Chinese opera which involves performers changing their faces with a rapidity that defies the human eye still spellbinds audiences today.


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Explainer | What is face-changing performance? Decoding the mystery and mastery of China’s dazzling centuries-old art form

Bewitching art form considered a state secret until 1980s Speed and dexterity of performers fools even most attentive audiences

Scaring animals

Bewitching art form considered a state secret until 1980s

Speed and dexterity of performers fools even most attentive audiences