The Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing is one of China’s largest and most prestigious national Peking Opera companies, with a rich artistic heritage and a comprehensive range of functions. It was formed through the consolidation of established Peking Opera troupes and schools in Beijing. In 1955, the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, one of its principal predecessors, was founded. Another predecessor, the Beijing Municipal Peking Opera Troupe, was established in 1963. The two troupes merged in 1979 to form the Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, with the Beijing Experimental Peking Opera Troupe subsequently incorporated in 1986. Affiliated to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism, the theatre is a public cultural institution and an integrated performing arts organisation engaged in artistic creation and performance, research, cultural exchange and outreach, talent development, and theatre management.

The theatre’s artistic heritage is deeply rooted in the legacies of such masters as MEI Lanfang, SHANG Xiaoyun, CHENG Yanqiu, XUN Huisheng, MA Lianliang, TAN Fuying, ZHANG Junqiu, QIU Shengrong, and ZHAO Yanxia, who were pioneers of major Peking Opera schools and foundational figures in the theatre’s development. Their artistic and spiritual legacies continue to shape the theatre’s distinctive identity. Home to a wealth of renowned artists and emerging talent, the theatre maintains a complete range of role types and diverse schools of Peking Opera. Twenty-four of its artists have received the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award, while 27 receive Special Government Allowances from the State Council. Nearly 100 others have received various national- and provincial-level honours and awards.

Rooted in tradition while embracing innovation, the theatre has built an extensive repertoire over the decades, including more than 300 traditional productions regularly performed, over 60 newly created works, more than 20 traditional works researched, restored, and revived, and more than 60 productions reworked and restaged. Its repertoire also includes such celebrated works of revolutionary-themed Peking Opera as Shajiabang and Dujuan Mountain. The theatre was also a pioneer in bringing Peking Opera to the small-theatre stage, producing nearly 20 small-theatre works. Over the years, dozens of its productions have received major honours, including the Wenhua Award, the Five-One Project Award for Outstanding Works in Spiritual Civilization, Gold Awards at the China Peking Opera Art Festival, the National Stage Art Fine Works Award, the CAO Yu Drama Award, the Lao She Literature Award, and the Beijing Literature and Arts Award.