In Peking Opera, lianpu colors are of great importance in revealing the age, profession and personality of a character. Originally, only three colors were used -- red, white and black -- each with its own symbolic meaning. Red is the color of loyalty, integrity and courage; black suggests a serious and taciturn disposition, including strength and roughness; white reveals a crafty and suspicious character. Later, other colors were gradually incorporated, such as purple -- the symbol of solemnity, serenity and a sense of justice; yellow, representing intelligence and calculation or bravery when used in warrior roles; blue shows uprightness and stubbornness; green indicates bravery and irascibility; and gold and silver are sometimes used on the faces of immortals, demons and monsters. Different colors can also distinguish nobility from the common folk, goodness from evil or loyalty from treachery.