The man deemed China's fastest "face changer" is a modern incarnation of an ancient, and fading, art form at the heart of traditional Sichuan Opera and where performers rely on silk masks to reflect their characters' mood changes. Face changing, or "bian lian," traces its history back some 300 years, and is unique to the southwestern province of Sichuan.
While the colour schemes and costumes look similar to better known Chinese opera schools, such as those in Beijing, what marks this form out is the changing of the often highly ornate masks in quick succession with the flash of a hand, or while turning.
45-year-old He Hongqing makes all the brightly coloured masks, which he switches at mind-boggling speed at popular performances, himself and usually wears 10 layers at one show.
The beauty of his art, He says, lies in its secrecy. "What is amazing about face changing is its mystery. Through performance and movements, performers are in effect playing with magic. In fact, face changing is a kind of magic," said He.
He can slip off his masks within a fraction of a second, and has been deemed the fastest face changing artist in the country by state-run China Central Television.
The art is considered one of China's national treasures, and in the past the techniques were closely guarded secrets that were only passed on within families. There are only around an estimated 200 people in China who still practice the art.
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