Wudan
The wudan is a female role type in Chinese opera and a subtype of the dan. Wudan characters are warrior maidens in combat, and wudan actors must be trained in martial arts with theatrical versions of traditional weapons, as well as in acrobatics and gymnastics.
The hair and makeup is similar to that of other young dan roles.
Subtypes
The wudan can be further divided into two subtypes, the duanda wudan and the daomadan; the latter wears an "armor" on-stage.''Duanda wudan''
The duanda wudan is a female who fights independently of a horse or an army. It can be a female youxia, like the heroine of Hongxian; or a supernatural being who has transformed itself into a women, like Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qing from the Legend of the White Snake. In Peking opera, the costume is worn, which consists of a jacket, a skirt, and trousers; as are additional skirt flaps and flat ankle boots known as.File:文雪裘-燕姿藝舍5月14日新光折子戲白龍關.JPG|thumb|left|300px|A Cantonese opera actress portrays a daomadan character, holding a poled qiang in her hands.
''Daomadan''
The changkao wudan, better known as the daomadan, is a woman, often an army commander, who fights on horseback in battles. Popular daomadan characters include Mu Guiying from the Generals of the Yang Family and Hu Sanniang from the Water Margin. In Peking opera, the daomadan wears a long "female armor", which is similar to that worn by their male counterparts but with flower and phoenix embroidery as well as multicolored streamers hanging from the waist. The armor is usually in red or pink. The armor restricts movement, so the daomadan is less acrobatic compared to the duanda wudan. For more freedom a "reformed armor", which lacks the four flags in the back and fits more closely to the body, can be worn. Her helmet is attached to two lingzi. The commonly used weapon is a long-poled dao or qiang.Skills
In addition to singing, wudan actresses must also be trained in martial arts, gymnastics, and acrobatics, just like their male counterparts. A unique skill for the wudan actress is "kicking the spears" which is unused in wusheng roles. In such a combat scene the wudan is in the middle of the stage surrounded by her enemies, each holding a couple of light double-headed spears with tassels at each ends. The enemies toss their spears for the heroine to kick back in various ways, which is meant to mimic deflections in battles. The result is fast-paced action with many spears flying through air simultaneously.Cross-gender acting
Male wudan actors are extremely rare. Yang Rui-Yu, a Taiwanese Peking opera performer who graduated from the National Academy of [Chinese Theatre Arts] in Beijing, has been called the only active male wudan actor. He is with Wu Hsing-kuo's Contemporary Legend Theatre.On the other hand, it's common for wudan actresses to play males, i.e. wawasheng or boy characters who can fight with weapons. These include Liu Chenxiang from The Magic Lotus Lantern, Zhao Wu from The Orphan of Zhao, and Yang Wenguang from Women Generals of the Yang Family.
File:Beijing Opera .jpg|thumb|300px|left|Nezha, always a boy in Chinese folklore, is played by a wudan actress in this Peking opera.