(After Mao Zedong heard Jiang Qing describe the beatings at the Peking Opera Network)
Mao Zedong (hereinafter referred to as Mao): Are they still being beaten?
Actor: We are all united now.
Mao: No more beatings, good.
Mao: Are there still anti-erhuang and anti-xipi performances7?
Actor: Can anti-erhuang and anti-xipi performances be used in revolutionary modern
drama?
Mao: I think so.














7 The erhuang or “two yellows”, is a traditional wind instrument mostly used to express melancholy, sadness or
contemplation, and was often used in tragic themes. Xipi, one of the singing voices of Chinese opera, mainly
expresses light-hearted, lively, and passionate emotions. Xipi and Erhuang complement each other and are
collectively called Pihuang in Peking Opera, Han Opera, Cantonese Opera, and Hui Opera. Anti-Erhuang is
basically the tone of the song that is sung by lowering the tune of the positive Erhuang by 4 degrees. The fall of
the upper and lower registers of the anti-Xipi singing voice is exactly the opposite of the falling sound of the
upper and lower registers of the Xipi, so it is called anti-Xipi.