Ke Ban, a name for specialized artistic training institutions in the past, was the place to train actors and actresses, and first appeared in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In the beginning, it practised the teaching system as higher grades coaching the lower. During the early period of the Republic of China, Ke Ban became increasingly popular and formal, with the rise of some influential and large-scale societies usually led by those renowned maestros and actors. The training institution of Ke Ban gradually became more mature and sophisticated, and formed a set of strict and scientific training methods.

Nowadays, when we talk about a person form Ke Ban, we mean that he has had formal and specialized training in his professional field; in other words, we say he is very professional.