Lotus Stage

　　The Lotus Stage is located in Lotus Village, Liang'an Yao Ethnic Township, Zhongshan, about 20 kilometers from the county seat. Constructed in the ninth year of the Guangxu reign (1883) during the Qing Dynasty, the stage faces south, with the Dragon King Temple located 50 meters opposite. The stage has a convex layout: the proscenium is 7.85 meters wide and 5.44 meters deep, while the backstage extends 12 meters horizontally and is 4.45 meters deep. The total construction area is 96.2 square meters. The base stands 1.73 meters high, and the front eaves reach 13 meters. The foundation is built from bluestone, and the structure is brick and timber. It features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof with upturned corners, the main ridge decorated with a mythical fish and a precious bead, and the second-tier roofing adorned with two dragons playing with a pearl. Above the stage opening is an octagonal caisson ceiling, with panels painted with Eight Treasures motifs. On both sides of the front stage, between the brackets, are wooden carvings of lions, and the center of the backstage features a screen.

　　The painted panel depicts a dancing female musician holding a pipa, and above it is a large arch inscribed with the characters “He Qing Hai Yan” (meaning “Peaceful Rivers and Prosperous Seas”). The base features stone reliefs of dragons, phoenixes, flowers, and figures, beneath which lies an inscribed stone tablet detailing the history of the stage’s construction. The backstage is flanked by gable walls shaped like the character “山” (mountain). The two connecting doors between the front and backstage are adorned with wooden plaques carved with “Dragon Soars” and “Phoenix Dances.” The rooftop ridge is crowned with twin fish supporting a pearl. It can be said that the entire stage is a work of art in itself, where layout, structure, acoustics, and carving achieve a nearly perfect harmony, reflecting the unique cultural characteristics of the Yao region and the ingenuity of its people. In 2000, the stage was designated as a Key Cultural Relic Protection Unit of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.