The tradition of performing Yueju opera at temple fairs has been carried down till this day. In recent years, the stage at Zhanshan Temple attracted not only local villagers but also a large numbers of tourists and Yueju opera fans from all over the country.

 Theater stage at Lv's Ancestral Hall at Huangshengtang

This stage is located on the central axis of Lv's ancestral hall at Huangshengtang village of Ganlin town, Shengzhou. According to the pedigree record of Lv's family, the stage was built in December 1768. It took seven years and more than 300 silver taels to finish the construction. Corridor rooms for women audiences were built on both sides of the stage, with the cradles to hold babies installed in front of the seats. Such a design was unique among theatre stages at Shengzhou.

Various theatre stages in Shengzhou

The stage was built facing north 4.8 meters by 4.6 meters.. Low railings are installed on the three sides of the stage to protect performers. Dragons are engraved on the single-eaved saddle-styled roofs, and S-shaped tails bring a dynamic effect to the architecture. A folding screen decorated with the Chinese character shou, which suggests long life, separates the stage from the orchestra pit, so that the audience will hear the music without seeing the musicians.

The stage at Lv's ancestral hall is also one of the earliest theater stages to hold frequent performances. The famous play in Yueju opera Nifeng fans the tea was performed here by a troupe led by Li Shiquan, who is believed to be one of the founding fathers of Yueju opera.

Author: Jing

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