Face up to festive changes with ancient Chinese art

Four shopping malls in Hong Kong have decided Christmas needs a more local flavour than Santa Claus and reindeer so they have invited a renowned Chinese face-changing artist to perform for shoppers.

The four malls, under the Sino Group, have brought in Chow Yuen-mo to stage a cross-over performance, mixing the age-old Chinese art with the traditional charms of a western Christmas. Bianlian, or face-changing, is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera. The art form, which sees performers changing masks in quick succession with a wave of the hand, has captivated both Chinese and overseas audiences alike.

Expert performers can change 10 masks in 20 seconds, and these masters are seen as a national treasure, with their tricks of the trade closely guarded by the remaining 200-odd practitioners on the mainland.

Chow is one of the disciples of Seven Little Fortunes, the martial arts performance troupe that served as a springboard to cinematic stardom for superstars such as Jackie Chan.

Chow will blend his superb face-changing craft with the folksy antics of Santa Claus.

Performance times at the malls: