Guiyang Kunqu Ancient Theater

Guiyang Kunqu Ancient Theater

The Guiyang Kunqu Ancient Theater is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Guiyang Kunqu Ancient Theater (including the Luo Family Ancestral Hall and Wei Family Ancestral Hall Kunqu Ancient Theaters)

Address: Daye Town and Chengjiao Township, Guiyang County

Guiyang has the most theaters in the country, the most in number. By the end of the Republic of China, there were still 481 ancient theaters in Guiyang. According to a survey conducted in the winter of 1989 for the compilation of the county's cultural chronicles, the theater at Chenghuang Temple in Chengguan Town was built in the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369), and is currently the earliest known ancient theater.

Most of these theaters are exquisitely crafted, with numerous masterpieces, showcasing the characteristics of ancient Xiangchu architectural art. Among them, the theater in the Ouyang Family Ancestral Hall in Xiayang Village, Sizhou Township, the theater in the Yan Family Ancestral Hall in Zhuxi Village, and the theater in the Luo Family Ancestral Hall in Daxi Village, Huangshaping Subdistrict, along with their respective ancestral halls, have all been listed as provincial-level cultural relic protection units of Hunan Province. For example, the theater in the Zhuxi Ancestral Hall features stone pillars in front of the stage entwined with dragons whose claws seem ready to take flight. The eaves of the stage are adorned with carved panels depicting the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars," with characters rendered in exquisite detail, as if divinely inspired. The entire structure is grand and imposing, extremely rare.

The inscriptions on the walls of theaters in many places reflect the history of the development of Kunqu art in Guiyang. Guiyang opera troupes were typically composed of a troupe leader (family head), actors, musicians, and "advance personnel." Before each performance, the advance personnel would write the name of the troupe, the performance time, and the repertoire in brush (or occasionally chalk) on the backstage panel or wall (sometimes also on the side wall of the stage) for the audience to see—referred to as a "wall inscription," akin to today’s "program guide." This helped the actors prepare for their performances and also served as a memento.

From the wall inscriptions at the theater in Songshi Market, Liufeng Town, it can be seen that in November of the 16th year of the Guangxu reign (1890), the Guiyang Kunqu troupe Xinwenxiu Troupe performed here for eight days, staging 24 Kunqu operas including "Dragon and Phoenix Match" and "Jing Ke Assassinates the King of Qin." The large number of performances and days reflects the local people’s deep fascination with Kunqu art at the time and bears witness to the former prosperity of Kunqu in Guiyang.

Another artistic highlight of Guiyang’s ancient theaters is the couplets displayed on the stages. Wherever there is a theater, there are couplets. These couplets complement the theaters perfectly, enhancing each other’s beauty, and are also fine examples of Guiyang’s cultural art forms. The front and back stages of Guiyang’s ancient theaters are separated by wooden paneling, with two side doors for entry and exit, each marked with plaques reading “Exit for Generals” (出将) and “Enter for Ministers” (入相). The walls on both sides feature couplets. In terms of content, these couplets either express the clan’s good wishes, describe the wonder of Kunqu art, or showcase the prosperity of local culture and the beauty of natural scenery.

For example, the couplet at the Nie Xi Liao Family Theater reads: “Mirage cities show the changes of the world, all but illusions; nobles and generals are outstanding figures, yet they too step onto the stage.” The Liuduqiao Market Theater: “Flowing water resembles the passage of time, as Huqin and Qiang flutes play mournfully amid national crisis, turning our temples white; the ferry holds poetic charm, as we hear songs of Peach Leaf and the spirit goddess playing her zither, leaving behind a landscape of peaks in the afterglow.” Most of these theater couplets are concise in language, profound in meaning, fluent in writing, and appropriate in rhetoric, with no shortage of masterful strokes reminiscent of renowned artists.

Guiyang’s theaters blend the art of ancient Xiangchu architecture, Confucian and Taoist culture, clan culture, Xiangkun (Hunan Kunqu) art, and couplet art into one, making them rare masterpieces among ancient intangible cultural relics. Their preservation and inheritance are worthy of our deep consideration.

In 2019, the Guiyang Kunqu Ancient Theater was included in the tenth batch of provincial-level cultural relic protection units in Hunan Province.

Liantang Town: Guangming Township and Liantang Town were merged to form Liantang Town. The newly established Liantang Town governs 38 administrative villages and 2 community neighborhood committees, covering a total area of 152.58 square kilometers, with a population of 47,300. The town government is located in Liantang Market (the former site of the Liantang Town government).

Name Origin: In the first year of the Tang Kai Cheng era (836), people from Jiangxi began settling here. The area had five lotus ponds, hence the name “Liantang” (Lotus Pond).

Geographic Location: Located between 112°33′26″–112°45′46″ east longitude and 25°37′15″… Detailed information about Liantang Town++

Further Reading:

· Tenth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hunan Province

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hunan Province