Juexi Street Central Theater Pavilion

Juexi Street Central Theater Pavilion

The Juexi Street Central Theater Pavilion is a cultural relic protection unit of Zhejiang Province.

The pavilion is located at the crossroads of Juexi Street, also known as the "Mast Pavilion," because the ancient town of Juexi was commonly referred to as the "Sand Ship City," and this pavilion was later built to symbolize a "mast."

The currently existing theater pavilion was constructed during the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty. The base of the pavilion is approximately five meters square, supported by four round stone pillars that uphold the upper structure. The upper structure is made of wood and features a two-tiered design. The lower tier is about four and a half meters high, and the upper tier is about seven meters high, both featuring four-cornered upturned eaves. The top of the upper tier has a gourd-shaped spire. The upturned eaves, both inside and out, are carved with various patterns such as dragons, phoenixes, and flowers. At the junctions of the four corners inside the pavilion, there is a solid wooden flower basket placed at each corner, with the characters "He" (Harmony), "Suo" (Place), "Ping" (Peace), and "An" (Safety) engraved on their bases, respectively.

The layout of the theater pavilion is uniquely designed. On the north side, it is closely connected to a row of five two-story wing rooms, which serve as spaces for the theater troupe to do makeup, store costumes, and rest. The east, south, and west sides of the pavilion face three main streets. To stage a performance, it is only necessary to install beams between the four stone pillars inside the pavilion and lay down stage boards. All three streets offer good sightlines to view the performance. This pavilion is a treasured example of Qing Dynasty architecture in our county and holds significant value for the study of architectural design and carving art from that period.

It was announced as a fourth batch provincial-level cultural relic protection unit in August 1997.