Shijia'ao Theater Stage: Birthplace of female Yueju Opera

Shijia'ao Stage is located at the Shengwu Ancestral Hall at Ganlin town of Shengzhou City. It saw the birth of the first group of Yuejue opera actresses.

According to the rules at Shengwu Hall, women were not allowed to perform on the stage. A Yueju opera troupe of 24 actresses had to build up makeshift stage in the open air. Later the troupe traveled to Shanghai to perform Yueju opera, where they were very successful. When they came back to town, they became so eminent in the eyes of locals that they were invited to perform on the Shijia'ao Stage. Thus Shijiaao became the first formal stage to welcome Yueju opera actresses. The performance attracted a large audience and it turned out to be a big hit. Influenced by Ganlin town, more and more stages in Shengzhou became open to women, creating a good environment for the development of female Yueju opera.

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