Jiuni Dam Theater

Jiuni Dam Theater

The Jiuni Dam Theater is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

The Jiuni Dam Theater is located in Jiuni Village, Xiaojia Town, and was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. Jiuni Village is a valuable cultural heritage site of Qiyang and was included in the fourth batch of China's Traditional Villages list in 2016. The Jiuni Dam Theater is the most outstanding gem among the ancient architectural complexes of Jiuni Village. It has fully preserved the architectural style and historical and cultural information from the Ming and Qing dynasties, integrating architectural, historical, scientific, and artistic values. It is one of the few well-preserved, double-eaved pavilion-style ancient theaters remaining in Hunan. The theater features a rational structure, an inner domed ceiling with caisson, elaborately carved beams and painted rafters, exquisite craftsmanship, lifelike shapes, and ingenious design. It carries a profound and long-standing historical and cultural legacy, showcases distinct local characteristics, and embodies rich values in folk architecture, arts and crafts, as well as religious culture. Originally serving as a performance venue for Qiyang Opera within the local ancestral hall, it continues to be a stage for the second batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage — "Qiyang Opera." The theater maintains the traditional life of local residents within the historic district and stands as a model for the sustainable and living preservation of cultural heritage. In 1983, Hunan Television filmed the Qiyang Opera opera "Meng Lijun" here, and in 1984, the first national antique-style open-air performance of the Mulian Opera was held here. The Jiuni Dam Theater carries the living history of the development of traditional drama in Hunan, richly reflecting the uniqueness of national culture and cultural diversity, and holds extremely high artistic value.

In 2019, the Jiuni Dam Theater was approved as a tenth-batch provincial-level cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Jiuni Village: 【Jiuni】 Jiǔní

Jiuni Village lies south of Hengyue (Mount Heng) and at a distance from the Nanyue Temple. "Jiuni" means "nine soils," where "soil" is referred to as "mud," hence the name. The village committee is located at the village school and administers 17 villager groups: Xinwuli, Sifangli, Sanfangli, Qinglongyuan, Menqianfang, Yuedayuan, Ganjiawa, Bafangli, Zhongjiatang, Huayuanli, Kuandayuan, Gongqiaobian, Yanshiyan, Jinshbian, Weiziyuan, and Zhujiaqiao. The village covers a total area of 6 square kilometers, with 127.7 hectares of arable land, 466 households, and a population of 1,576.

… More detailed information about Jiuni Village ++

Further Reading:

· Tenth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hunan Province