Cultural Heritage
Masks are extraordinarily important within traditional Chinese culture. Although there are various types of masks throughout China, one of their most popular uses involves warding off ghosts and spirits and suppressing evil (Xiaoxiang 89). Opera masks mimic the make-up styles worn on the faces of opera performers and the designs and colors are symbolically tied to a character’s role in the story. Different colors and brushstrokes indicate different personalities, such as rugged, bad or comical (Xiaoxiang 81-84).
