In the early days of liberation, the Peking Opera stage in Beijing was very active, Peking Opera was the main entertainment for the masses, and during the National Day, the Spring Festival or other major events, the state held theatrical performances to celebrate, and the Peking Opera starring famous artists was the most popular program. With such a huge demand for Peking Opera, various Peking Opera troupes have emerged, with a large and complex performance team.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Culture set up the Xiqu Improvement Bureau, which set up the Peking Opera Research Institute, which was renamed the Chinese Opera Research Institute on April 3, 1951. The name of the performance is the Peking Opera Experimental Working Group of the Chinese Academy of Drama. In 1953, the troupe performed under the name of "China Peking Opera Troupe". The China Peking Opera Company was formally established in January 1955, with Mei Lanfang as its first director. The original main actors were Ye Shenglan, Du Jinfang, Li Hezeng, Li Zongyi, Zhang Yunxi, Zhang Chunhua, etc.
Before the liberation, the old opera troupes were transformed into private theater troupes. In the 50s, the troupes active in Beijing were: the troupes led by the four famous artists, Mei Lanfang Troupe, Cheng Yanqiu Troupe, Shang Xiaoyun Troupe and Xun Huisheng Troupe. The four major students also formed a troupe: Ma Lianliang, who returned from Hong Kong, formed the Ma Lianliang Troupe in August 1952. Tan Fuying's Tongqing Society and Qiu Shengrong's Rong Society merged to form the Taiping Peking Opera Troupe, which was later renamed the Beijing Second Peking Opera Troupe. Yang Baosen's Baohua Society was changed to Baohua Peking Opera Troupe, and Xi Xiaobo established the Xiaosheng Peking Opera Troupe in 1952, and later Xi Xiaobo Peking Opera Troupe. Li Shifang is deceased, and the other three also have their own troupes: Zhang Junqiu returned from Hong Kong to form the Friendship Peking Opera Troupe, which later became the Third Peking Opera Troupe of Beijing. Song Dezhu's Yingguang Society was later changed to Yingguang Peking Opera Troupe, and Mao Shilai formed the Peace Peking Opera Troupe in 1949.
Li Shaochun and Yuan Shihai's Qishe and Ye Shengzhang's Jin Shengshe formed the New China Experimental Peking Opera Troupe in June 1950, and later joined the China Peking Opera Company as a whole. Li Wanchun's Yongchun Peking Opera Troupe was changed to the Capital Experimental Peking Opera Troupe in 1950, and in 1952, it became the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe. Wu Suqiu established the Capital People's Peking Opera Troupe in 1952, which was later renamed the Beijing Fourth Peking Opera Troupe. Zhao Yanxia's Yanming Society was changed to Yanming Peking Opera Troupe.
In addition, there are Li Yuanchun's Spring and Autumn Peking Opera Troupe, Xu Dongming's Ming She Later Ming Lai Peking Opera Troupe, Zhao Rongchen's Dafeng Peking Opera Troupe, Guo Shaoheng's Yandu Peking Opera Troupe, Li Lingsheng's Progressive Peking Opera Troupe, Jiang Tielin's Youth Peking Opera Troupe (Jiang Tielin later joined Wu Suqiu's Fourth City Peking Opera Troupe), Guan Shaohua's Guohua Peking Opera Troupe, Nan Tiesheng's Minsheng Peking Opera Troupe, Yu Zhongheng's Tonghe Peking Opera Troupe, Li Jinsheng's Yansheng Peking Opera Troupe, Bi Guyun's Red Star Peking Opera Troupe, Wang Yurong and Xiao Wang Yurong's Rongqing Peking Opera Troupe, Tong Zhiling's Popular Peking Opera Troupe, Yan Huizhu Troupe, Li Shiji Troupe, Liang Yiming's Minghua Peking Opera Troupe, and Caitouban Xinxing Peking Opera Troupe. In addition, there are Dong Yuling and Guo Shaoheng's Yandu, Zhou Yunliang's Qunli, Zang Languang's Hongguang, Xu Hanying's Xinhua, Zhao Jinrong's victory, Jiang Shisheng and Mi Yuwen's pioneers, Shang Lingyun's Lingming, Xiao Cuihua's Qunyi, Cao Yibin's Xinyi, Yun Yanming and Huang Yuhua's Xinsheng, Ding Zhiyun's Hongyun, Wang Suqin's Rongyi, Lin Yumei's Yilin, Li Yanxiu's Yanshe, Wang Zezhao's Xinsheng, Liang Huichao's Xinning, Xue Haowei's Innovation, Yu Zhongheng's Xinglong, Dong Wenhua's Liqun, Song Yusheng's friendship and other Peking Opera troupes. The troupes were collected from advertisements for performances in newspapers in the capital, and it is yet to be verified whether some of them belong to Beijing.
It should be noted that in the early 50s, although the number of private theater troupes that appeared in the newspaper was large and difficult to count exactly, the overall number of actors was limited, because these troupes only starred in a fixed number, and a large number of supporting actors and cast actors were very mobile, and many supporting actors were part-time in multiple theater troupes at the same time. As soon as the protagonist leaves, the troupe disperses; Or the main actor is gone, the name of the troupe is still there, and someone else is the main actor.
By the mid-50s, the Peking Opera performance troupes in Beijing had undergone great adjustments, the number of troupes had been greatly reduced, the management of the troupe system had been improved, and the personnel were basically fixed and could not move at will. The most important adjustment was the merger of the Ma Lianliang Troupe with Tan Fuying and Qiu Shengrong's Beijing Second Troupe, and the establishment of the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe at the end of 1955, followed by Zhang Junqiu's Beijing Third Troupe (1956) and Zhao Yanxia's Yanming Peking Opera Troupe (1960). Li Shiji also joined the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe.
In 1958, Yang Baosen and Xi Xiaobo left Beijing one after another. Yang Baosen went to Tianjin to cooperate with Li Huiliang, Xi Xiaobo cooperated with Wu Suqiu in the Fourth Regiment of Beijing, and then went to Hebei. Song Dezhu was transferred to Shenyang in 1954, then to Changchun, and in 1959 to Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province to teach opera. There are also troupe adjustments: Li Yuanchun left the Spring and Autumn Peking Opera Troupe, and in September 1957, he and Li Yunqiu formed the Beijing Youth Peking Opera Troupe. After Cheng Yanqiu's death, the Cheng Opera Troupe was disbanded, and according to Premier Zhou's instructions, Zhao Rongchen and Wang Yinqiu were transferred to the Youth Peking Opera Troupe to continue to perform Cheng Pai's opera, and the troupe implemented a state-run system. The Spring and Autumn Peking Opera Troupe continued to perform with Dong Wenhua and others as the leading actors. Mao Shilai joined the city's first regiment for a short time in 1954 and left Beijing for Jilin in 1955. Yandu and Yansheng Peking Opera Troupe merged to form the Friendship Peking Opera Troupe starring Li Jinsheng, Guo Shaoheng, Dong Yuling, and Dou Lanfen. Xu Dongming's Minglai Peking Opera Troupe merged with the Municipal First Troupe to form the Xinhua Peking Opera Troupe, which was decentralized to Chongwen District, with Xu Dongming as the head of the troupe. Song Dezhu went to Shijiazhuang. During this time, a large number of troupes left Beijing due to leading actors, and the troupes were disbanded one after another.
At this time, the Peking Opera Troupe of China was also adjusted, and the Peking Opera Troupe of the General Political Department formed by Li Lingsheng and Li Lifang was transferred to Beijing in 1955, and performed for a short time under the name of "Beijing Peking Opera Troupe", which was later merged into the Peking Opera Company of China and became the Fourth Troupe. This old fourth troupe was transferred to Ningxia in 1958 and established the Ningxia Peking Opera Troupe. The three regiments in Beijing were the first regiment of Li Yuan and Ye Du, the second regiment of Li Hezeng, Zhang Yunxi, and Zhang Chunhua, and the three regiments of Li Zongyi, Li Huifang, and Ye Shengzhang.
In 1959, the first students of China Opera School and Beijing Opera School graduated. In addition to those who went to other places, the graduates of the Chinese Opera School were divided into two groups: Sun Yue and Yang Qiuling went to the China Peking Opera Company to form a youth troupe (i.e., the fourth troupe), and Qian Haoliang and Liu Changyu went to the Experimental Peking Opera Troupe of the China Opera School. The graduates of the Beijing Opera School were initially divided into Mei (Li Yufu, Li Chongshan), Shang (Li Xiang), Xun (Sun Yumin, Zhang Xuejin) troupes, and a year later they were gathered to form the Beijing Opera School Experimental Peking Opera Troupe.
In the early 60s, the troupe in Beijing was adjusted again. In 1960, the Third Troupe of the China Peking Opera Company was transferred to Beijing, mainly to enrich the Mei, Shang and Xun Opera Troupes, and Li Zongyi, Li Huifang, Ye Shengzhang, Wang Quankui and others joined the Mei Opera Troupe. Then a number of troupes were streamlined and devolved: Li Wanchun's Xinhua Peking Opera Troupe went to Tibet, and a year later moved to Inner Mongolia, where it took root. Wu Suqiu's troupe was transferred to Shenyang, and soon Wu Suqiu returned to Beijing from Shenyang to perform together in the Shang Opera Troupe as the "Wu Suqiu Performance Group". Bi Guyun's troupe was transferred to Benxi, Liaoning, and the emerging Peking Opera troupe was transferred to Xinjiang. In addition, the Friendship Peking Opera Troupe was transferred to Chaoyang District, Beijing, and was renamed Chaoyang Peking Opera Troupe in 1960. Liang Yiming's Minghua Peking Opera Troupe was sent to Xuanwu District.
At the end of 1963, Mei Shangxun and the Youth Peking Opera Troupe merged into the "Quadruple Troupe", which was named Beijing Peking Opera Troupe No. 2 because the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe was the first. At this time, Mei Lanfang was deceased, Shang Xiaoyun went to Shaanxi, Xun Huisheng retired and went to the Beijing Opera Research Institute. In 1964, Wu Suqiu, Jiang Tielin, Yu Junfang and others joined the Minghua Peking Opera Troupe, and it was rebuilt into the Xinyan Peking Opera Troupe, with Wu Suqiu as the troupe leader, and all the troupes performed modern operas.
During the Cultural Revolution, the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe became a model troupe and broke away from Beijing, but the name was still the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, so the name of the Beijing Peking Opera Second Troupe was not appropriate, so it was renamed the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, indicating that it was a municipal troupe. The salary of the model group is high, so some people joked: "One more city is better than one less." In 1970, the Comrades-in-Arms Peking Opera Troupe was also established, which belonged to the army, and most of the actors came from Chinese theater school graduates.
After the Cultural Revolution, the Peking Opera troupe in Beijing underwent great changes. Most of the crew of the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe's "Cuckoo Mountain" were transferred to the First Troupe of the China Peking Opera Company, Li Shiji was transferred to the Second Troupe of the China Peking Opera Company, and Liu Xiurong, Zhang Chunxiao, Li Guang, Li Weikang, Geng Qichang and others formed the Third Troupe of the China Peking Opera Company, which was later renamed the National Peking Opera Company. The Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, which performed "Shajiabang" and "Cuckoo Mountain", merged with the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe to form the Beijing Peking Opera Company. The original Experimental Peking Opera Troupe of Beijing Opera School was restored to the Beijing Experimental Peking Opera Troupe, which was later merged into the Beijing Peking Opera Company. Wu Suqiu and Jiang Tielin left the Xinyan Peking Opera Troupe and transferred to the Beijing Peking Opera Company, and Li Wanchun was transferred back to Beijing from Inner Mongolia to enter the Beijing Peking Opera Company. The Xinyan Peking Opera Troupe was renamed the Beijing Fenglei Peking Opera Troupe, with Li Mingyan as the leader.
Today, the Peking Opera Troupe in Beijing has been greatly streamlined, the National Peking Opera Company has been reduced from four troupes to three (Li Shengsu's first troupe, Li Haiyan's second troupe, and Zhang Jianguo's third troupe), and the six troupes of the Beijing Peking Opera Company have been reduced to three (Wang Rongrong's first troupe, Li Hongtu's Mei Lanfang Peking Opera Troupe, and Chi Xiaoqiu's Youth Troupe). There are also the Fenglei Peking Opera Troupe led by Song Yan and the Peking Opera Troupe of his comrades-in-arms headed by Ding Xiaojun.