A helmet (L) and a garment used in opera performance from the Qing Dynasty.[Photo/Official Weibo account of the Palace Museum]

During the ancient times when there was no television, a major recreation in the royal court was watching Chinese operas, which had to be lively and auspicious. Several emperors in the Qing Dynasty would act in operas themselves, such as the Qianlong Emperor, Daoguang Emperor and Tongzhi Emperor. The Guangxu Emperor could even beat drums.