Former Site of the Shengping Office

　　Destination Introduction
　　The former site of the Shengping Office is located on the west side of the southern entrance of Nanchang Street.

　　　　The institution in charge of court theatrical performances during the Qing Dynasty was called the Nanshu (Southern Bureau), established during the Kangxi reign. Affiliated with the Imperial Household Department, the Nanshu recruited folk artists to perform for the court. During the Qianlong reign, the scale of the Nanshu expanded. In the seventh year of the Daoguang reign (1827), the "Shi Fan Xue" (Ten Instrument Study) was merged into the "Zhong He Yue" (Central Harmony Music), an archival office was added, and the Nanshu was renamed the Shengping Office (Office of Peace and Prosperity), which continued to oversee court performances. This continued until the third year of the Xuantong reign (1911), spanning a total of 162 years.

　　　　The scripts, archives, costumes, props, and performance photos preserved by the Shengping Office are kept in the Palace Museum. The former site of the Shengping Office includes the current campuses of Beijing No. 6 Middle School and No. 28 Middle School. The Shengping Office Theater Courtyard is one of the better-preserved architectural complexes, with a construction area of about 200 square meters. This courtyard is a quadrangle compound featuring a north-facing theater building, with an extended veranda in front of the northern room of the courtyard — ideal for viewing performances. It is a key cultural relic protected at the municipal level in Beijing.

　　　　Location: Located on the west side of the southern entrance of Nanchang Street.   Transportation Information
　　Transportation: Take bus routes 1, 4, 5, 10, 22, 37, 52, or 728 and get off at Zhongshan Park.

　　 Beijing Xicheng District

　　(No images available yet; contributions are welcome.)