The Flower Opera Tower, also known as the
Song Stage, was built particularly for opera performances. Built 1676, the 15th
year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the Flower Opera
Tower is both an independent construction and part of the Daguandi
Temple.
The tower covers an area of about 1,000
square meters. Its gate was built on an imitation-wood structure in the shape of
a memorial archway with three roofs. It was engraved with exquisite patterns
from top to bottom, including figures, carts pulled by horses, cities, hills,
trees, flowers, birds and beasts, as well as six complete play texts and over 70
kinds of stories. A pair of 2.4-meter-high stone lions sit on both sides of the
gate. Next to the lifelike statues are two iron masts 16 meters high. A bell
tower and a drum tower were also built on both sides of the opera tower.
Although the huge bell has been destroyed, but the massive drum has been well
preserved. An inscription on the drum reads: the second year of the Kangxi reign
(1663).
Sitting in the north and facing the south, the Flower Opera
Tower has a huge wooden stage shaped like the Chinese character,
, that
reaches the bell and drum towers. Colored wooden carvings decorate the stage,
which is paved with glazed tiles. The Flower Opera Tower is supported by six
columns. In the center of the stage is a folding screen with carvings of two
dragons playing with a huge pearl. Hanging above the screen is a horizontal
tablet with four inscribed characters: Beautiful Song, Excellent Dance. There
are four gates leading to the stage. Two viewing towers were built in front of
the stage, each with two stories and six rooms. Facing the central gate of the
stage is the main hall of the Daguandi Temple. Its front hall is decorated with
color patterns, while the back hall has a Guangong statue and various cultural
relics displayed inside. There are also many carvings and examples of
calligraphy stored in the hall. The Flower Opera Tower is of great value to the
study of architectural art and traditional opera of the early and mid-Qing
period. The Boxian County Museum has been set up at the
site.