A. Male Performers as Female Roles (Qian Dan / Male Dan / Nandan)
Male actors whose primary craft (ben gong) is the Dan (female) role category, or who occasionally cross into female roles.
| Role Type | Pinyin | Character Description | Representative Performers | Signature Roles / Operas |
| Qingyi (Zhengdan) | 青衣 | Dignified, virtuous young or middle-aged women; primarily singing roles | Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu | Yang Guifei in The Drunken Concubine (Guifei Zuijiu); Consort Yu in Farewell My Concubine (Bawang Bie Ji); Wang Baochuan in Wujiapo; Qin Xianglian in The Case of Chen Shimei (Qin Xianglian) |
| Huadan | 花旦 | Lively, witty young women or maids; primarily acting and movement | Xun Huisheng, Shang Xiaoyun | Hongniang in Hongniang; Sun Yujiao in The Jade Bracelet (Shi Yu Zhuo); Jin Yunü in Jin Yunü |
| Daomadan | 刀马旦 | Armored female generals; combines singing, acting, and martial arts | Shang Xiaoyun | Mu Guiying in Mu Ke Village (Mu Ke Zhai); Liang Hongyu in The Battle Against the Jin (Kang Jin Bing); Fan Lihua in Fan Jiang Pass (Fan Jiang Guan) |
| Wudan | 武旦 | Female warriors specializing in acrobatic combat and weapon juggling | Zhu Guifang, Jiu Zhenfeng | Green Snake in The Legend of the White Snake (Bai She Zhuan); Liu Jinding in Slaying at the Four Gates (Sha Si Men) |
| Guimendan | 闺门旦 | Young women from noble or scholarly households | Mei Lanfang, Xun Huisheng | Du Liniang in The Peony Pavilion (Mu Dan Ting); Cui Yingying in The Western Chamber (Xi Xiang Ji) |
| Laodan | 老旦 | Elderly women | Gong Yunfu, Li Duokui (male Laodan) | She Taijun in Women Generals of the Yang Family (Yang Men Nü Jiang); Madam Kang in Fishing for the Golden Turtle (Diao Jin Gui); Madam Wu (Empress Dowager Wu) in Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Auspiciousness (Long Feng Cheng Xiang) |
| Caidan | 彩旦 | Comedic, humorous female characters; often played by Chou (clown) actors | Ma Fulu and other Chou performers | Matchmaker Liu in The Jade Bracelet (Shi Yu Zhuo); Jaileress in The Female Prisoner (Nü Qi Jie) |
B. Female Performers as Male Roles (Kun Sheng / Female Sheng / Kunsheng)
Female actors whose primary craft is the Sheng (male) role category, or who occasionally cross into male roles.
| Role Type | Pinyin | Character Description | Representative Performers | Signature Roles / Operas |
| Laosheng (Xusheng) | 老生 | Middle-aged or elderly men wearing artificial beards; combines singing and acting | Meng Xiaodong, Wang Peiyu, Zhang Wenjuan, Mei Baoyue, Jiang Peipei, Xiao Lanying, En Xiaofeng | Zhuge Liang in The Vacant City Ruse (Shi Kong Zhan); Cheng Ying in The Orphan of Zhao (Sou Gu Jiu Gu); Chen Gong in Capturing and Releasing Cao (Zhuo Fang Cao); Wu Zixu in Wen Zhao Pass (Wen Zhao Guan); Yang Yanhui in The Fourth Son Visits His Mother (Si Lang Tan Mu); Mi Heng in Beating the Drum and Cursing Cao (Ji Gu Ma Cao); Yang Jiye in The Stele of Lament (Peng Bei); Liu Shichang in The Black Basin (Wu Pen Ji) |
| Xiaosheng | 小生 | Young men; performed with a mixed head-voice and chest-voice technique | (Rare; occasionally performed by female actors) | Zhou Yu in The Gathering of Heroes (Qun Ying Hui); Lü Bu in The White Gate Tower (Bai Men Lou); Zhang Junrui in The Western Chamber (Xi Xiang Ji); Xu Xian in The Legend of the White Snake (Bai She Zhuan) |
| Wusheng | 武生 | Male warriors specializing in martial arts; divided into armored (changkao) and short-cloak (duanda) types | Zhao Yanxia (cross-role), Feng Yun (cross-role) | Huang Tianba in The Eight Wax Temple (Ba La Miao); Zhao Yun in Changban Slope (Chang Ban Po); Wu Song in Wu Song Fights the Tiger (Wu Song Da Hu) |
| Hongsheng | 红生 | Male characters with red-painted faces | (Extremely rare among female performers) | Guan Yu in A Thousand-Mile Journey (Qian Li Zou Dan Qi); Zhao Kuangyin in Beheading the Yellow Robe (Zhan Huang Pao) |
| Jing (Painted Face) | 净 | Male characters with painted faces; divided into bronze-hammer (singing) and架子 (acting) types | (Extremely rare among female performers) | Bao Zheng in The Case of Chen Shimei (Qin Xianglian); Cao Cao in The Gathering of Heroes (Qun Ying Hui); Zhang Fei in Reed Marsh (Lu Hua Dang) |
| Chou (Clown) | 丑 | Comedic or villainous male characters; civil (Wen Chou) and martial (Wu Chou) | Wang Peiyu (cross-role as Jia Gui) | Jia Gui in Famen Temple (Fa Men Si); Jiang Gan in The Gathering of Heroes (Qun Ying Hui); Shi Qian in Shi Qian Steals the Rooster (Shi Qian Tou Ji) |
C. Classic Cross-Role Performances (Fan Chuan / Fengxi Opera)
Fan Chuan (反串) refers to an actor temporarily performing a role outside their primary role category — not limited to gender crossing. These are the most famous cross-role operas, traditionally staged as end-of-season “box-sealing” (fengxiang) gala performances.
| Opera | Cross-Role Casting (selected) | Notes |
| The Eight Wax Temple (Ba La Miao 八蜡庙) | Zhao Yanxia (Huadan) → Wusheng Huang Tianba; Li Shiji (Qingyi) → Wuxiaosheng He Renjie; Li Duokui (Laodan) → Laosheng Qin Yicheng; Qiu Shengrong (Jing) → Caidan Xiao Zhangma | The most iconic cross-role “box-sealing” opera; nearly the entire cast performs outside their primary role type |
| The Jade Bracelet · Famen Temple (Shi Yu Zhuo · Fa Men Si 拾玉镯·法门寺) | Shi Yihong (Qingyi) → Laosheng Zhao Lian; Zhao Hongyun (Wusheng) → Huadan Sun Yujiao; Lu Su (Laosheng) → Caidan Matchmaker Liu | Recent Shanghai Jingju Theatre Company cross-role production (2026) |
| Dragon and Phoenix Presenting Auspiciousness (Long Feng Cheng Xiang 龙凤呈祥) — Cross-role version | Hu Xuan (Laodan) → Laosheng Liu Bei; Fan Yongliang (Laosheng) → Laodan Empress Dowager Wu; He Shu (Laosheng) → Jing Sun Quan | Chinese New Year cross-role gala performance |
| Mulan Joins the Army (Mulan Cong Jun 木兰从军) | Mei Lanfang (Dan) → performs as Dan in the first half, then cross-role as Xiaosheng/Wusheng in the second half | An innovative Mei Lanfang opera in which the character herself disguises herself as a man |
D. Female Characters Who Disguise Themselves as Men (Within the Plot)
These are characters who are biologically female but disguise themselves as male within the story — distinct from actors crossing gender lines.
| Character | Opera | Description |
| Hua Mulan | Mulan Joins the Army (Mulan Cong Jun) | Disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army |
| Chen Xiuying | The Iron Bow Destiny (Tie Gong Yuan) | A teahouse girl who disguises herself as a man and joins the army |
| Xie Yaohuan | Xie Yaohuan (Xie Yaohuan) | A female official in the Wu Zetian era who serves as a traveling inspector |
| Xun Guanniang | Xun Guanniang (Xun Guan Niang) | A teenage girl who breaks through enemy lines to save her father |
| Shi Sanmei / He Yufeng | The Thirteenth Sister (Shi San Mei) | A heroic swordswoman who often travels in male disguise |
| Huang Chonggu | The Female Top Scholar (Nü Zhuang Yuan) | A Five Dynasties-era woman who disguises herself as a man and passes the imperial examination |
Key Terms Glossary
| Term | Pinyin | Definition |
| Qian Dan | 乾旦 | Male actors who specialize in female (Dan) roles as their primary craft |
| Kun Sheng | 坤生 | Female actors who specialize in male (Sheng) roles as their primary craft |
| Fan Chuan | 反串 | An actor temporarily performing a role outside their primary role category (not limited to gender crossing) |
| Ben Gong | 本工 | An actor’s primary, trained role category |
| Fengxiang Xi | 封箱戏 | “Box-sealing” operas — end-of-season gala performances traditionally featuring cross-role casting |
| Hangdang | 行当 | The four major role categories: Sheng (male), Dan (female), Jing (painted-face male), Chou (clown) |
Source: Compiled for ccpark.com — Exploring Chinese Culture and Traditional Arts