Abstract
<jats:p>This article presents a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of the mask in theChinese opera tradition, with particular attention to Beijing (jingju) and Sichuan (chuanju) operas. Drawing on historical and cultural sources alongside contemporary scholarship, ittraces the evolution of theChinese opera mask from its ritual origins to its establishment as a codified stage language. The study highlights two distinct approaches: in Beijing opera, the mask/makeup (lianpu) operates as a stable system of colors and patterns, enabling the immediate recognition of a character’s archetypal traits and social role; in contrast, in Sichuan opera, this principle acquires a dynamic dimension through the technique of bianlian (“face-changing”), which transforms the mask into an instrument of instant dramatic metamorphosis and expressive emotional shifts. A comparative analysis ofshared codes (color symbolism, role typology) and divergences (static/dynamic functions, principles ofstage performance) between the two traditions underscores the mask as a central mediator of theatrical communication, a carrier of multilayered aesthetic, moral, and cultural meanings, and a key element shaping the recognizable visual language ofChinese opera. In addition, the study explores the modern uses of the opera mask outside the theatrical sphere, demonstrating its incorporation into global cultural practices and its evolution into a universal symbol of the 21st century</jats:p>