One thing I've learned about China is that everything is about face - giving face (给面子 gei mianzi), losing face (失面子 shi mianzi) and saving face (mianzi). However, I never heard of changing face until a recent visit to Chengdu where I attended a face-changing performance.
Face-changing (变脸 bianlian) is a type of Sichuan opera where performers quickly change masks, appearing as if their faces change. After a long day climbing mountains and visiting ancient temple sites, I kinda felt like staying in at my hotel instead of going to what was described as a Chengdu opera performance. While my musical tastes are pretty diverse and I do like some Chinese music, I haven't quite become a fan of Chinese opera. However, I was glad I overcame my laziness and went to this performance since it was much more than just opera and was very entertaining. In addition to face changing and opera, it also included traditional dance, gymnastics, and shadow puppets.
Here's a YouTube video that explains and shows face-changing
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