272 Beijing Opera Masks - Xia Houdun - Number 25

Xia Houdun

Beijing Opera - "Bowang Slope"

One of Cao Cao's relative from Qiao who was a fearsome general. Xia Houdun had been trained from his early boyhood to use the spear and the club. When only fourteen he had been attached to a certain master-in-arms. One day one person spoke disrespectfully of his master, and Xia Houdun killed that person. For this deed, however, he had to flee and had been an exile for some time. When Cao Cao called for volunteers to fight Dong Zhuo, Xia Houdun joined Cao Cao with his cousin, Xiahou Yuan. He was relied heavily on by Cao Cao and called the one-eyed brave warrior. During his service, he was one of Cao Cao's most trusted men and had saved his master from danger many times.