Shanbanqiao Cultural and Life Museum Introduction
Upon entering the Sanbanqiao Facial Makeup Culture Life Museum Park, you can see a facial makeup of the "Five Path Gods" at the entrance. Its vibrant colors symbolize auspiciousness and stand out remarkably in the tranquil mountains, urging visitors to explore the museum further. The wood carving industry in Sanyi is quite developed, with numerous wood carving factories. Sanbanqiao was originally a wood carving workshop, where the owner and his wife primarily engaged in producing practical arts and crafts such as flat wood carvings, screens, tables and chairs, and tea trays. However, as the economic structure of society changed, the wood carving industry gradually declined, prompting the couple to rethink the direction of their workshop. Initially, they transformed the workshop into a farm focusing on teaching wood carving. Due to their strong interest in Peking opera facial makeup, they used it as a teaching material to instruct beginners in basic carving techniques. However, using sharp carving tools poses risks for untrained beginners, so they later designed facial makeup painting activities, gradually transforming Sanbanqiao into a place centered on facial makeup art and suitable for family-friendly impromptu painting sessions. The cultural museum is divided into several areas, including a cultural history area introducing the local history and culture of Sanyi, a wooden facial makeup display area, and an experiential area for the public to understand wood through hands-on experiences. The most eye-catching feature is the wall showcasing thousands of traditional national opera facial makeups. These works are the result of the owner's family's hard work, and upon close examination, one can discover that each facial makeup has a unique design and is painted with great detail, expressing the personalities and charm of various characters through colors and lines. With a clear theme, Sanbanqiao has successfully promoted facial makeup and wood carving art, allowing these cultures to be reintroduced to the public in an engaging way, ultimately achieving sustainable inheritance. There are two theories regarding the origin of facial makeup: one suggests that in ancient rituals, fierce masks were used to depict the terrors of demons, while the other theory links it to the masked dance performances during the Southern and Northern Dynasties and the Sui and Tang Dynasties, seen as the precursor to facial makeup. Regardless of its origin, eventually, to convey the emotions and expressions of performers more effectively, artists began to paint their faces directly with powder and oil paints, leading to the formation of facial makeup. To ensure that audiences farther from the stage could also see the actors' facial expressions clearly, the initial facial makeups only used three colors—black, red, and white—to emphasize features, skin tone, and contours. With the development of opera art, the patterns and colors of facial makeup became increasingly diverse. By the late 18th to early 19th century, a complete makeup scheme emerged in Peking opera facial makeup, where the colors gradually evolved to have symbolic meanings. In the color symbolism, red represents loyalty and bravery, like Guan Yu; black symbolizes fidelity and integrity, like Bao Zheng; purple signifies wisdom and bravery, like Jing Ke; white suggests a treacherous nature, like Cao Cao; blue implies strength and valor, like Lu Meng; green represents ferocity and impetuosity, like Cheng Yaojin; yellow signifies cunning malice, like Pang Juan; and gold and silver colors are often used for deities, Buddha, and ghosts, symbolizing the ethereal. Understanding the meanings represented by these colors adds much enjoyment when appreciating them.
