The Art of Biàn Liān 变脸 (Face-Changing)

by Daniel Chiam

I was fascinated by the ancient art of Biàn Liān or literally mean face-changing, when I first saw the movie “The King of Masks (1996)” many years ago. I was dumbfounded by how fast the skillful master of Biàn Liān can changes its masks in just split seconds, and I was wondering where he kept all his masks. To me back then, that was pure magic that’s way better than Siegfried and Roy with all their big props and white lion (and white tigers). We don’t have internet back then nor we knew what YouTube is and as the time goes by, my interest in finding out more about the art of Biàn Liān slowly faded. 

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I was extremely excited when I heard that Biàn Liān will be perform during the SM Ken Hwa’s Chap Goh Meh celebration (which I have the privilege to cover for the event) and my expectation sky rocketed cause I finally get to see this art of “magic” from the east to be perform right in front of my eyes. My brains quickly travel back to the moment when I first watched the movie and how mesmerized I was when I first saw it back then. 

The ancient art of Biàn Liān which originated from China, was like a family’s most valuable treasure. A skills and techniques that its secrets can only be known by the sons in the family and never to be told nor to be pass down to others outside of the family. Of course with time passes, human’s flaw and what’s not, the art of Biàn Liān has finally been leaked out and learned not only by the other people from the oriental world but also by the people from the west.

It was really a privilege for me to be able to witness a local magician and performer, Mr. Kevin Lee, performing the ancient art of Biàn Liān that is a great pride of the Sichuan opera from China. I really hope that I could do a story on this amazing art with Mr. Kevin in the future, and hopefully do my part to spread the art to the younger generation, especially to the Sabahan community, and to make sure that it would not be forgotten as the times goes by.

"Seize the day, Caper Diem"

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