Meaning of Piao You and Piao Fang

Beijing Opera Index

What is Piao you and Piao fang
But actually, "piao you" means Peking opera fans, "piao fang" means the place where fans meet to amuse themselves and "xia hai" means turning professional.

Since Beijing Opera enjoys a higher reputation than other local operas, almost every province of China has more than one Beijing Opera troupe, which is called "piaoyou" in Chinese. This kind of opera is so popular among Chinese people, especially seniors, that even a "Beijing Opera Month" has been declared.

When you come across with a small group of Peking opera fans singing in a street corner, that corner can be considered a "street piao fang." There is no lacking of social celebrities among Peking opera fans.

Emperor Guang Xu of Qing Dynasty, for example, was not only a good amateur Peking opera singer, but was also a good drummer in the Peking opera orchestra (the drummer plays the role of the director of the orchestra).

The Empress Dowager was an avid Peking opera fan, too. The huge three-storey theater in the Summer Palace is a proof of her love for Peking opera.