Mei Lanfang in "The Drunken Beauty Yang Guifei" [Xinhua]

This year marks the 115th anniversary of the birth of Mei Lanfang, considered as one of the greatest Peking Opera artists in modern history. Mei Lanfang is known for his portrayal of "dan" characters, a type of young female role. He founded his own innovative style of the art form that continues to evolve and further increase in popularity to this day.

Peking Opera began just over 200 years ago and up until 1949, men played all of the roles, including the female characters. During his stage life, Mei added his own flair to traditional female roles, shaping a style of his own and forming the Mei school of Peking Opera. He is also credited as popularizing the art form overseas.

"My father broke the distinction between almost all types of female roles and founded the Mei school," explained Mei Baojiu, son of Mei Lanfang.

"He was highly accomplished in singing, dancing and acting. In addition, he reformed the stage design, music score and makeup of Peking Opera, taking the art to new heights," Mei Baojiu added.

Over the past 100 years, the Mei school of Peking Opera has attracted thousands of students and followers, many of them female.

"Not all males can take female roles in Peking Opera," explained 77-year-old Du Jinfang, a master in Mei-style opera. "It requires good looks, figure, voice, talent and persistence toward this profession."

Du Jinfang was chosen by Mei Lanfang when she was just 17, as she resembled him and his younger children.

"I remember when I was young, my mentor Mei Lanfang, his daughter Mei Baoyue and I staged 'The Drunken Beauty Yang Guifei' together, when he started to sing, the audience began to laugh," Du recalled. "Backstage, he asked the manager of the theater why, later he figured out that it was because the three of us looked so much alike."

Inheriting the extensive repertories of Mei Lanfang, Du's stage presence and interpretation is flamboyant and engaging.