As the most popular and __________ opera in China, Beijing opera has a history of more than 200 years and is regarded as a __________ quintessence of China. It __________ from many kinds of ancient local operas, especially huiban in southern China. At the end of the 19th Century, Beijing Opera __________ and took shape, becoming the greatest kind of opera in China. Different from the western __________, Beijing Opera is a __________ of performing arts. Through the four __________ means and the four basic skills of Beijing Opera -- singing, __________, acting, and acrobatic, Beijing Opera completely portrays and narrates the plot and characters. The characters of Beijing Opera are classified according to sex, age, __________ profession and social __________. The main types of roles in Beijing Opera are sheng (male), dan (female), jing (a male with painted face) and chou (clown, male or female).