Flushing Town Hall announces the opening of “The Art of Imperial Peking Opera Costume” exhibition, one of the 2018 Lunar New Year Celebration programs by Flushing Town Hall. The series is designed to celebrate one of the most important traditional holidays with the Asian American community, and present many aspects of the evolving traditions on stage and in gallery.

The Peking Opera is recognized as the most important Chinese theater in China. Known as the "Imperial Theater" because emperors and queens were deeply in love with it during the Qing Dynasty, these opera costumes are considered to be an important achievement in theater art. This exhibition presents carefully selected pieces from some of the most famous episodes in Peking Opera. These charming yet stunning works of art will provide many surprises.

“The Art of Imperial Peking Opera Costume” will open to the public on Saturday, February 17, displaying some of the most classic and recognizable costume pieces from the most well-known and beloved Peking Opera episodes. Some of the most impressive pieces include the hand-embroidered emperor’s robe and queen’s robe with intricate patterns and high contrast colors. The Peking opera costumes are designed to reflect the social status, personality, and psychological being of the characters. The exhibition focuses on interpreting the relationship between the character and displaying of color, symbol and design on the character’s costume.
The opening ceremony of “The Art of Imperial Peking Opera Costume” will take place on Saturday, February 17 at 2 pm. Several Peking opera performers dressed up fully in Peking opera costumes with full makeup, showcasing the costumes as if they are being seen on stage. The exhibition will be on-view for three weeks until March 11th, providing the public a rare opportunity to appreciate the intricacy and beauty of the costumes on their own pace. The exhibition is free to the public.

This exhibition is curated Dr. Hsing-Lih Chou, presented in collaboration with Chinese American Arts Council, special thanks to Mr. Alan Chow for lending his personal collections of Peking opera costume.