4, divided into Shengdan and Jingchou.
There have always been different opinions about the origin of the names of opera characters. A more common saying is that "Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chou" are named with "ironymy". This is actually a very old legend, which dates back to the era when dramas and legends were popular. However, even when it was said that it was in its prime, some people pointed out its fallacy.
The origin of drama cannot be tested, and there are many hypotheses. There are two more mainstream views: one is the witchcraft ritual of primitive religion. For example, in ancient Chinese, the three words "witch", "dance" and "wu" have the same origin, which may be a combination of a witchcraft activity that begs for victory in battle. It is called the original form of drama.
The other is an impromptu song and dance performance during labor or to celebrate the harvest. This statement is mainly based on ancient Greek drama, which is considered to have originated from the Dionysian sacrifice.
Extended information:
The artistic characteristics of drama:
Drama brings together many art forms under one standard. These forms include: poetry, music ,dance. Poetry refers to literature, music refers to musical accompaniment, and dance refers to performance. In addition, it also includes stage art, costumes, makeup, etc.
At the same time, opera uses singing, chanting, acting and fighting as its basic means, integrating almost all kinds of performing arts components into one. Opera actors must master the "four skills and five methods" (the "four skills" are singing, chanting, acting, and beating, and the "five methods" are mouth, hands, eyes, body, and steps).
Baidu Encyclopedia - Drama
Baidu Encyclopedia - Sheng Dan Jing Chou