Yangping Guild Hall Theater

Yangping Guild Hall Theater

Destination Introduction

The Yangping Guild Hall Theater is located in the northwest of Chongwen District, at Xiao-Tong outside Qianmen. The guild hall was originally built during the Ming Dynasty and has undergone several renovations. The theater was later built and reconstructed during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It is majestic and spectacular, featuring a 12-rafter hip-and-gable roof with double-eave corridors in the front and back.

In front of the theater lies the guild hall courtyard, which has been renovated several times, and the existing buildings are all in Qing-style architecture. The theater itself was built and reconstructed during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. It is a wooden structure with a 12-rafter hip-and-gable roof, featuring double-eave corridors in the front and back. Inside the theater, the beams and columns are richly carved and exquisitely decorated. The walls on both sides of the stage are painted with theatrical murals, and there are shrines used for worshipping deities and ancestors. In the center of the rear wall facing the stage is embedded a set of four stone inscriptions that record the guild hall’s establishment, changes, and renovation history.

The Yangping Guild Hall Theater is one of the larger, more exquisitely built, and well-preserved examples of Qing-style civilian theaters in Beijing. It holds certain scientific value for the study of guild hall layouts and the history of theatrical development. In 1984, it was listed as a municipal-level cultural heritage site.

Address: No. 36, Xiao-Tong, Chongwen District

Location: Located in the northwest of Chongwen District, at Xiao-Tong outside Qianmen

Inside the theater, the beams and columns are richly carved and the decor is luxurious. The viewing area is divided into two levels. The second floor faces the stage directly and consists of an official box with a front-raised hip-and-gable roof. There are also side viewing areas where tables and benches can be placed. The railings of the viewing boxes are adorned with carved balusters, and stairs are provided at each corner for access. The main floor area is roughly square-shaped, resembling a pool, with square tables and long benches for general audience seating. The stage is nearly square in shape, protruding into the performance space, with a front-raised design. It has a pair of stage pillars at the front, covered by a corridor above, and is divided into three levels. There are openings at the top and passageways below, allowing for mechanical stage effects. Murals are painted on the walls on either side of the theater, and shrines are installed for worshipping deities and ancestors. The rear wall facing the stage is embedded with four stone tablets that record the historical establishment and reconstruction of the guild hall. Due to severe weathering and human damage, most of the inscriptions are illegible, with only “Yangping..” and some partial characters still recognizable.

Originally, several large plaques hung inside the theater, but now only two wooden plaques with gold characters on a black background remain. One of them is inscribed with “Awakening the World Bell” (Xing Shi Duo), written by Wang Duo, a famous calligrapher from the late Ming and early Qing periods. Transportation Information

Get off at Dashilan Station via Bus No. 2, 17, 20, 53, 110, 59, 120, 805, or 819, then enter Xiao-Tong on the east side.

Beijing Chongwen District