Dan is the general name for female roles in Chinese opera, often referring to leading roles. They may be played by male or female actors. In the early years of Peking opera, all dan roles were played by men, but this practice is no longer common in any Chinese opera genre.

Male actors who specialize in playing dan are referred to as nándàn (男旦); the practice arose during the Qing dynasty due to imperial prohibitions against women performing on stage, considered detrimental to public morality. This practice of female impersonation by male actors was led by Mei Lanfang, one of the most famous dan performers. In the early years of Peking opera, all Dan roles were played by men. Wei Changsheng, a male Dan performer in the Qing court, developed the cai qiao, or "false foot" technique, to simulate the bound feet of women and the characteristic gait that resulted from the practice.

In the late Qing dynasty and the early republic, the performance of actresses became popular. As a result, women were playing increasingly important roles on stage. But Peking opera has been characterized by female impersonation for years, male dan actors were viewed as irreplaceable by female actors.

In the twenties century, the most accomplished Peking opera male dan actors are Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Shang Xiaoyun, and Xun Huisheng, known as the "Four Greatest Dan Actors" (四大名旦; Sì Dàmíng Dàn). In Pingju, the "Four Greatest Dans" are Ai Lianjun, Bai Yushuang, Liu Cuixia, and Xi Cailian. There were also "Four Small Famous Dans" (四小名旦): Li Shifang, Mao Shilai, Zhang Junqiu, and Song Dezhu.

There are a few different kinds of dan in Chinese opera. The commonly seen ones are 'Guimen Dan', 'Zheng Dan', 'Hua Dan', 'Daoma Dan', 'Wu Dan', 'Lao Dan' and 'Cai Dan'. Each different kind of dan has its own unique characteristics.

The Guimen Dan (闺门旦, "boudoir-door role") is the role of the virtuous lady. They are usually young and unmarried women that have high social status. Guimen Dan focus more on singing and they have little movement. They sing in a very high pitched and piercing voice. Opera schools in China have difficulty recruiting students for this kind of role, since it requires a good voice, good looks, and a good height. The most famous Guimen Dan of the last century was Mei Lanfang. Examples of Guimen roles are Du Liniang (杜丽娘) from The Peony Pavilion (牡丹亭) and Wang Baochuan (王宝钏) from Wujiapo (武家坡).

The Zheng Dan (正旦, "straight role"), also known as Qingyi (青衣, "verdant-clad") is the role of middle-aged women. The characters are mostly married, dignified and elegant women and are mainly the roles of wives and mothers. Similar to Guimen Dan, Qingyi's performance is characterized by singing and speeches, and the range of motion is relatively small. They are also required to not show their teeth or move their dresses when they perform.

A Hua Dan (花旦, "flowery role") is a lively, vivacious young female character. They normally wear short blouses with pants or skirts. Unlike the Guimen Dan, the Hua Dan focuses more on movements and speech. They must be able to speak quickly and clearly. They also need to project an image of cuteness and innocence as Hua Dan always represent girls of around 12–16 years old. Often, a Guimen Dan is accompanied by a Hua Dan maid. Hongniang of the Romance of the Western Chamber and Yan Xijiao (阎惜姣) of Wulongyuan (乌龙院) have involved the role of Hua Dan.