Face changing is the most amazing stunt in Sichuan opera. A performer in a black cap and black mantle flourishes his arm and twists his head, and his face changes into a horrible black face. He turns around and in the blink of an eye, a frivolous white face emerges. He turns around yet again, and a splendidly colored face suddenly appears!

This marvelous stunt makes one wonder why in a country where there are so many different games of opera, only Sichuan opera contains such an amazing stunt. Although its origin can’t be determined, face changing is not as easy to do as one might think from seeing the quick changing performed on stage. The inventor of face changing must have been very romantic. How could only one mask of the performer express the character’s numerous feelings throughout an entire opera? It can be said that Sichuanese has particularly exquisite emotions. They are determined to change the impossible into the possible. Consequently, face changing became the best way to express characters’inner feelings and emotions.