A Lively Scene, Huangyao’s Theater Inspires

Zhao Lin　Dong Lidong

The Gui Opera Mu Guiying is being performed. Amid the loud drums and cymbals， Mu Guiying， with a helmet adorned with phoenix wings and pheasant plumes， wearing embroidered armor， and carrying four pink-edged banners on her back， holds a golden spear， looking gallant and spirited. Yang Zongbao， in silver armor and helmet， also adorned with two pheasant plumes and bearing four silver and yellow-edged banners on his back， holds reins in his left hand and a silver spear in his right， looking majestic and formidable. The stage is alive with booming music， fluttering banners， and trembling pheasant plumes. The audience fills every inch， from the front of the stage to the open grounds of Baozhu Pavilion， erupting with applause from time to time.

The repertoire includes not only Mu Guiying， but also other plays like Hitting the Golden Branch， Creating Chaos in the Yan Mansion， and Zhuge Liang Thrice Enraged Zhou Yu. There are also colorful regional operas like Sijiu Asks the Way and Mute Carries the Madman. Sometimes， Cantonese opera troupes from Guangdong or Chu opera troupes from Hunan are even invited to perform. Various plays are performed in succession， today， tomorrow， the day after， for three full days and nights， or even up to six days and nights， ensuring the locals get their full fill of theater.

This is the Lunar-March-3rd temple fair at Huang Yaos Baozhu Temple.

On the third day of the third lunar month， amidst drizzling rain， spring is in full bloom. On this day， the Yao people celebrate the “Ganba Festival” to commemorate their ancestor Pan Hu. Its also the birthday of the Zhuang peoples progenitor， Buluotuo， and the day the Zhuang people go to the fields to sing， known as the “Wo Po Festival.” Its also the “Shangsi Festival” for the Han people. March 3rd of the lunar calendar is a festival celebrated by the local people of all ethnicities， holding equal importance to the Spring Festival. Since its the same region and the temple fair is on the same day， why not merge the festivals and celebrate together？ The Zhuang people took the initiative to invite the Han people. The Han， being guests in this region， felt gratitude for this generous invitation and happily accepted it.

Since then， the March 3rd of the Lunar Calendar temple fair at Baozhu Temple has grown larger in scale and richer in content than ever before， with unprecedented grandeur. The festival includes religious ceremonies， theater， lion dances， dragon dances， firecracker grabbing， acrobatics， monkey shows， cockfighting， and musical performances. People decorate with lanterns and banners， prepare special meals， and warmly welcome visiting relatives and friends. After seeking blessings at the Baozhu Pavilion， people head back to their family or community temples for worship before enjoying the festival. Apart from various entertainment activities， food is also a major highlight. The festival offers a wide variety of foods， with multicolored glutinous rice being a star dish. Seasonal foods include vegetable-wrapped fermented black bean rice， stuffed squash blossoms， bamboo shoot stuffings， and grapefruit peel stuffings. Theres also black bean powder， layered cake， spring onion dumplings， and gray water rice cake. Various kinds of rice cakes such as chicken neck rice cake， mugwort rice cake， bamboo leaf rice cake， plain rice cake， taro rice cake， scissor-mouth rice cake， fried rice cake， and pan-fried pea rice cake leave people spoiled for choice and wishing for a bigger appetite. Watching plays is the main event， drawing the largest crowds. Troupes perform on the stage continuously， from day to night. At night， lighting is provided by soybean oil lamps and pine resin wood， with performances continuing until dawn. The theatrical troupe performs for three days and three nights， and the temple fair lasts for the same duration. If funds permit， for instance， if a local notable sponsors an extended performance due to a special occasion， the play and festival can run for six days and nights. It can be said that the heart of the Baozhu Temples Lunar-March-3rd temple fair is not in the Baozhu Temple itself but at its theatrical stage.

Currently， Guangxi preserves nearly 70 ancient theaters， most located in regions like Guilin and Hezhou in northeastern Guangxi， corresponding to the Guilin and Pingle Prefectures of the Ming and Qing dynasties. Of these ancient theaters， only a handful were built before the Qing Dynasty; the rest were mostly constructed during and after the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. The Baozhu Temple theater was built during the Ming Dynasty and is a treasure among Guangxis ancient theaters. It underwent significant renovations during the Qianlong period， resulting in its current layout. Why was there a surge in theater construction in the Hezhou area during and after the Qianlong era？ This trend is tied to migrants from Hunan and Guangdong moving to northeastern Guangxi during the Ming and Qing dynasties， and it also corresponds with the evolution of local opera.

Guilin and Pingle Prefectures， at the intersection of Guangxi， Hunan， and Guangdong， are historically known as the “Crossroads of Three Provinces.” Due to the ancient road built during the Qin Dynasty crossing Mengzhu Ridge to reach the Chu territory， this area became one of the earliest in Guangxi to be influenced by central Chinese culture. This led to continuous migration， attracting merchants and promoting local economic and cultural development， with opera naturally spreading. Furthermore， the Qing emperors were fond of opera， resulting in a flourishing theater scene in the capital. As the saying goes， “When the top admire something， those below will surely follow.” This nationwide trend of building theaters and performing troupes also influenced the Hezhou region. The Hezhou region popularized genres such as the Gui Opera， Caidiao， and Cantonese Opera. When Hunans Qi Opera spread to northern Guangxi and blended with local tunes， it eventually evolved into Gui Opera. This genre thrived during the Kangxi and Qianlong reigns of the Qing Dynasty， becoming one of Guangxis local opera forms. Caidiao， colloquially known as Zi， Caideng， or Caicha， originated from the rural songs and narrations of northern Guangxi and evolved by incorporating Hunan melodies. This evolution likely took place around the mid to late Qing Dynasty. During the Qianlong period， Cantonese Opera troupes， following Guangdong merchants， arrived in Guangxi， and the opera began to spread in northeastern Guangxi. Its evident that the origins and development of opera genres in the Hezhou region are closely linked with those from Hunan and Guangdong. The number of migrants from Hunan and Guangdong to northeastern Guangxi peaked during the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns of the Qing Dynasty. By this time， the opera genres had matured， and building theaters and performing grand operas had become integral parts of daily life. Consequently， northeastern Guangxi saw a dense distribution of theaters. By the late Qing Dynasty， Huangyao established local Gui Opera and Caidiao troupes. These troupes not only performed at the Huangyao Baozhu Temple theater but also toured various village theaters during the winter farming off-season， reflecting the thriving opera scene in the Hezhou region. In 1995， the Baozhu Temple theater was included in the “Chinese Opera Records — Guangxi Volume，” marking a significant documentation of Guangxis opera history.

The Huangyao Baozhu Temple theater is a precious ancient architectural gem of Huangyao， initially constructed in the third year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty （1524）. Records from Zhaoping County Chronicles in the 23rd year of the Republic of China （1934） indicate that the Baozhu Temple underwent major renovations and expansions during the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty. As part of the Baozhu Temple， its theater was finalized， making it the oldest documented structure in Huangyao town. The Baozhu Temple theater is situated northeast of the Baozhu Temple， facing west from the east. Its overall shape is convex， designed as a three-sided theater， providing audiences with ample viewing space. The stage area is square， spanning three sections with a width of 8.3 meters; the central section is 5 meters wide. It extends two sections deep， with a depth of 5.2 meters. The total height of the stage is 8 meters， with the stage surface at 1.64 meters and the stage opening at 3.56 meters， making it spacious. The stage base is made of stone， with the front consisting of eight uncarved slabs decorated only with semi-circular ridges at the top and bottom. The theater features a single-layer hipped roof with a beam-inserted wooden frame. Four golden pillars inside reach the top， with eave columns positioned on the outer edge. There are no diagonal beams at the corners， only raised wooden headers on the purlins， giving the corners a smoother appearance. Wooden ceiling panels between the golden pillars are adorned with Buddhist and Daoist eight-treasure motifs. Beautiful wood carvings decorate the eaves. The roof is covered with green tiles， with a green-glazed tile border near the eaves. The main ridge ornamentation features a Bogu design， decorated with colorful bird and flower sculptures in clay. In the center of the main ridge sits a green-glazed gem， flanked by yellow-glazed lions on either side.

The hanging ridge uses a large-style flying ribbon design， with a green glazed lion at the base of it and green glazed carp at the ends of the side ridges. The stage spans a width of three rooms， measuring 12.3 meters wide. Its depth is one room constructed from hard mountain bricks. The middle section has a small porch， which serves as a spot for the performing band. Both entry and exit doors are adorned with decorative carvings of pomegranates and longevity peaches， inscribed with the words “Flying Swallow” and “Astonishing Swan，” respectively. Unlike other stages， Baozhu theater does not have a caisson in the ceiling to amplify sound during performances. However， legend has it that nine large pots are placed under the wooden stage floor， which enhances sound projection， allowing the sound to travel as far as ten miles.

The Baozhu theaters design is simple yet antique， with exquisite wood carvings and powerful stone craftsmanship. It embodies the architectural style of the Ming Dynasty and reflects the essence of Guangzhous pavilion-style structures. Who designed and built such a refined structure？ Generally， ancient artisans held a humble status and rarely gained recognition alongside the structures they created. The artisans behind the Baozhu theater remain anonymous as well. However， even though the theater exhibits Guangzhou architectural style， it was not built by Guangzhou craftsmen. Historical records indicate that it was constructed by people from “Chunan.”

Who are these “Chunan” people？ The term refers to people from the Jianghua Yao Autonomous County and Jiangyong County in Yongzhou City， Hunan Province. Not only did the Chunan people build the Baozhu theater， but they also constructed several other theaters in nearby villages. Why were the theaters built by the Chunan people？ Its speculated that it might be related to Qi opera. Qi opera， formerly known as Qiyang opera or Qiyang troupe， originated from Yiyang tune. Its the most widespread and historic form of traditional opera in Hunan， popular in areas like Yongzhou， Hengyang， Chenzhou， Shaoyang， Huaihua， and Loudi. Many Qi opera troupes performed in distant places， reaching areas like Guangxi， Guangdong， Jiangxi， and Fujian. In Guangxi， Qi opera played a significant role in the evolution and growth of Gui opera. Historical records frequently mention joint performances of Qi and Gui opera. The Chunan people， hailing from the homeland of Qi opera， possess extensive expertise and experience in theater construction. Its possible that these craftsmen accompanied the opera troupes to Guangxi and were commissioned by the local residents of Huangyao to build the theater. There are several graves of Chunan people around Huangyao， suggesting some settled there， possibly contributing not only to theater construction but also other architectural endeavors.

Usually， a backdrop separates the front and back of a stage and also serves as a place to hang stage settings. Some backdrops are exquisitely decorated， like the one in the Shuikou Ling Shrine theater in Datian Village， Gongan Town， Zhongshan County， which features beautifully carved wooden window panels and a skirt painted with dragons playing with pearls. The backdrop of the Lianhua theater in Lianhua Village， Liangan Yao Township， Zhongshan County boasts wooden panels adorned with painted images of elegant women playing the zither — a visual highlight of the entire stage. Some backdrops are plain， like the one in the Baozhu theater， consisting of long wooden boards on the bottom and lattice windows above. Whether ornate or simple， the top of the backdrop usually hangs a plaque. The inscriptions on these plaques are crucial to the theater， serving both as decorative elements and reflections of the local populaces aspirations and societal expectations. The plaque on the backdrop of the Shuikou Ling Shrine theater in Datian Village reads “Recorded in History，” a phrase from Mencius， which is scholarly in nature. The Yuewang Temple theater in Fuyang Ancient City， Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County， has a plaque reading “Vast and Boundless，” from Wen Tianxiangs Song of Righteous Qi， evoking a sense of grandeur. The plaque on the backdrop of the Shenting theater in Fengxi Village， Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County， reads “Reflecting on the Past to Understand the Present.” And the East Water Village theater reads， “Heard in the Heavens.”

The inscription on Baozhu theaters backdrop plaque reads “Can Inspire，” in a vigorous style reminiscent of the Jin and Tang dynasties. At face value， this inscription conveys a heartfelt wish for prosperity in daily life. It was inscribed during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty by Lin Zuoji， one of the most distinguished figures of Huangyao. In 1934， noted as the 23rd year of the Republic of China， the “Zhao Ping County Chronicles” records： “Lin Zuoji， also known by the courtesy name Ji Chuan， hailed from the Huangyao area of Guan District. He became a ‘juren （imperial scholar） in the Gengzi year of Emperor Qianlongs reign and later served as the prefect of An Yuan. He ardently championed the rejuvenation of education， augmented funding， recognized and rewarded excellence， and provided support to students preparing for their provincial exams. Throughout his service， he was renowned for encouraging virtues， rooting out corruption， and his commendable governance.” As such a distinguished scholar， Lin Zuojis inscriptions naturally transcended mere well-wishes， reflecting a depth of understanding and perspective on life. The phrase “can inspire” comes from Confuciuss The Analects — Yang Huo Chapter 17： “Poetry can inspire， it can be observed， it can bring people together， and it can be used for lament.” Here， “poetry” refers to The Book of Songs. The meaning is that poetry “can evoke emotions， observe nature and society， bring people together to share feelings and harmonize， and can be used to express dissent without causing resentment.” If poetry can inspire， why cant theater also inspire？

“Grieving for fallen leaves in autumn and celebrating tender branches in spring” embodies human empathy. On stage， actors pour their emotions， life experiences， and very essence into the performance. The audience， in turn， connects these performances with their own life experiences， feelings， and imaginations， resonating with the world around them and historical events. This is the societal educational role of theater. In ancient times， most ordinary people had no access to cultural education. In remote places like Huangyao， literacy was mainly among the elite. While traditional operas might not teach doctrine， many of their themes uphold ethics， morality， and loyalty. By building stages and watching grand performances， the mostly illiterate public not only had their senses delighted but also had their souls cleansed. Traditional virtues and cultural knowledge were promoted， enlightening people about proper behavior， which embodies the saying， “Dont say its just a play; it also imparts wisdom and culture.”

Every winter， the people of Huangyao begin preparations for performances at the upcoming Spring Festival and the Lunar-March-3rd temple fair of the lunar calendar. They negotiate with theatrical troupes from other regions， finalize contracts， and make payments to ensure scheduled performances. At this time， if a villager from a neighboring village asks：

“Will Huangyao have performances next year？”

People from Huangyao would confidently and proudly respond：

“Huangyao will have performances！”

In the Huangyao dialect， which is similar to Cantonese， the word for “play” sounds like “spirit.” Saying “Huangyao has no play” is akin to saying “Huangyao has no spirit，” which is considered bad luck. If there were no performances the following year， they might be ridiculed by neighbors with， “Huangyao has no spirit.” Hence， to ensure prosperity and good fortune， Huangyao must always have a play.

And so， this tradition continues year after year.

As time flies and seasons change， todays temple fairs are not the same as those of yesteryears. The old Baozhu viewing platform is no longer used for performances but is now a historical relic， preserved as a cultural heritage site of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The center of Huangyaos performances has shifted to the Huangyao Theater， located beside the South Pond of Jin De Street. Huangyao Theater stages a regular play called “Song of Lin He，” which is based on historical records from The Book of Sui — Biographies of Notable Women. It tells the patriotic tale of Zhong Shixiong， a chieftain from the Lingnan region， who defended national unity and ethnic harmony during the transition from the Chen Dynasty to the Sui Dynasty. The theater continues the educational role that the old stage played.

With the music silenced and the makeup washed off， the old stage becomes a historical artifact. Or rather， as the oldest documented structure in Huangyao Town， the stage stands as a witness to its historical development. Over the centuries， many buildings in Huangyao were either destroyed by natural disasters or human conflicts. Even the majestic Baozhu Temple was once flooded and demolished. But the stage remains， continuously hosting performances， standing tall to this day. Theres a saying： The theater is a microcosm， and the world is a grand stage. The stage carries countless tales of joy and sorrow， but isnt the stage itself also a character in the grand play of Huang Yaos history？

If the stage could speak， how would it narrate the stories it has witnessed in Huangyao？

This book begins with the treasured ancient architecture of Huangyao --  the Baozhu Theater Pavilion. Delving into the origin， architectural features， and profound inscriptions of the pavilion， it traces the history and present of Huangyao ancient town. The book excavates， organizes， and replicates details of Huangyaos history， architecture， customs， geographical layout， and more. It combines an architects analytical observation and reproduction with a literary writers romantic imagination and depiction. The narrative is concise， compact， and unique. Hand-drawn illustrations are clear and lively， with seemingly casual but deliberate use of color， depicting the poetic and dreamy beauty of Huangyao.

Ancient Town of Huangyao

Written by Zhao Lin

Illustrated by Dong Lidong

Lijiang Publishing Limited

March 2023

98.00 （CNY）

Zhao Lin

As a National First Class Registered Architect， Zhao Lin regularly oversees architectural design and research and has a long-standing interest in the historical architecture of the Guangxi region.

Dong Lidong

As a National First Class Registered Architect， Senior Architect， and member of the Architectural Society of China， Dong Lidong has held positions as chief architect in real estate groups and architectural institutes and served as a guest professor in universities. Dong specializes in architectural design and historical building preservation， and is skilled in sketching with ink and diverse art forms to document architecture and life.