This is Peking Opera, a type of storytelling in Chinese Opera with a long and varied history.

It's a unique blend of dazzling looks, acrobatics, and sometimes, fierce women warriors.

But for a large part of Chinese operatic history, female roles, including these empowering ones, were performed by men.

In the Qing Dynasty, women not only cannot perform on the stage, they are forbidden to go to see the shows.

This is the story of how women reclaimed their place on stage amidst massive social change and how today's performers are making Chinese opera their own.

In Chinese opera - specifically Peking Opera - two stage roles are dedicated to female warriors: Wudan and Daomadan.

For Wudan, as a martial arts role, they have to learn not only how to use all kinds of weapons, they also have to know how to use their body as acrobats.

Daomadan, they are usually generals fighting in the battle.

They usually wear very heavy armor.

The flags represent they are generals.

Soldiers look at the general just like nowadays in the airport, they are using a flag to give the signals.

And also, it's all made of silk, with silk embroidery and with hand stitches.

So it's not machine-made.

This outfit takes months.

Performing Wudan or Daomadan takes brutal, years-long training.

Spear tossing is another hard technique because it requires control over timing and rhythm.

I practiced every day, in three years before I could perform it with precision on stage.

I was very inspired by the Woman Warrior.

There's a woman called Hong Xian.

She's only a servant of a general.

And once, the general is facing an enemy, which is much stronger than he is.

And then she found a way, went to his enemy bring back his belonging next to his bed and send it back the next day.

When the enemy saw his belonging just next to his bed was stolen, which means he can be killed.

And right away he left.

Warriors not only, have strengths from the muscle and also from your brain.

And courage.

While these roles showcase women's strength and tell stories about their incredible valor- their history has a quite dark side.

Starting in the 17th century, not just performing women were not even allowed to sit in the audience.

They were expected to obey their fathers and husbands and to manage the home.

Qiao wasn't the only invention which men came up with when they performed female roles.

There's a lot of hair that's circular patterns like that.

This one was created by a man.

His name is Wei Changsheng.

If your face is very long (as a man), the Pianzi (additional hair) can be lowered down.

And also they can put Pianzi on both sides, forward.

So you could have a smaller, beautiful, feminine face.

But why have women warriors - even though played by men - been fighting on stage while in real life women were trapped by foot-binding and domestic expectations?

These female warriors are symbols for ideals like courage and patriotism.

Just like Mulan.

This role is often played by Wudan or Daomadan.

Mulan's story first appeared in a 5th century poem, focusing on her filial piety and patriotism.

The idea of her as a symbol of female liberation came much later in China.

In other words, for a long time, these warrior roles weren't really about women -not until women fought to reclaim the story on stage and in society.

Throughout the 1800s, women started testing the boundaries by performing in different places like urban teahouses.

And by 1909, Shanghai's Danfong Theater introduced mixed-gender performances.

This happened amidst the Qing's collapse and the Xinhai revolution.

At this point many books and publications came out advocating for freedom in marriage, education and voting, Women served as teachers and even commanders (in the revolution).

So similar changes happened in the Chinese opera world.

The ban on female performers was eventually lifted in 1912.

By 1930, Chinese Opera College eventually allowed women to receive formal training in Jingju (Peking Opera).

And we successfully take over male's creation and do it even better.

Today, Chinese opera continues to be a cherished national and international artform.

Personally, I also draw from the discipline I learned in Jingju's (Peking Opera) rigorous training.

I studied English so hard to pass the TOEFL exam, it took me five years.

These female warriors like their determination and endurance, I mean, their spirits guide me in my daily life.

And so now I am pursuing a PHD in Theater.

And my mission is to spread this art form internationally.

During 2020, all our shows and the teaching jobs stopped.

And all my savings were almost gone.

But fortunately one of my classmates in college because they all know how crazy I was about Chinese opera just gave me $50,000 to save our company.

So I think I show my strength.

Right now, I am 70.

This was like 50 years of doing Chinese Opera.

So I think I earned respect from my classmates and a lot of my donors.

And I have to thank my husband.

My husband is really supportive of me.

And I think not so many women are as lucky as I am.

And even my mom feels that.

She feels sorry for Stephen.

She said, "You just give order to Stephen to work and you never feed him."

But Stephen said, "I don't want to marry a housewife.

I wanted a person who I can work with."

For women, if I have advice, you have to know who you are, what you want.

You have to have a vision.

And work hard.

It's good to be a boss.

In Chinese opera, the warrior woman has long been a symbol.

Today, she's finally real.