Zhengyici Theater

I didn't go in and read other people's travel notes. I don't think it's very good for sightseeing. It should be good if I have time to see a play

Zhengyici Theater

Yici opera house is located in Xiheyan street, Xuanwu District, Beijing, south of Hepingmen. It is one of the most famous opera houses in Beijing. It is also the oldest well preserved pure wood theater building in China.

history

Zhengyici Theater

It was built in 1688, the 27th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. The theater was built on the site of the Buddhist temple. The theater has a long history. Mei Lanfang, the master of Peking Opera, once performed here. Yici theater was originally built by merchants in Zhejiang Province. At first, it was used to receive people from the financial sector in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. They came here every new year to watch traditional folk opera such as Shehuo and Mulian opera. With the birth of Beijing opera, Zhengyi temple also became popular. During the reign of Tongzhi, Cheng Changgeng, Tan Xinpei and Mei Lanfang, the founders of Beijing opera, performed here one after another. As a result, Zhengyi Temple theater became the shape of Beijing opera It is a historical witness to the success and development. The theater is divided into two floors, with three sides of the tower in front of the stage and stairs on both sides. The center of the building is horseshoe shaped with a canopy, which can accommodate hundreds of people.

Zheng Yi temple, known as the "living fossil of Chinese Theater", was once a temple in Ming Dynasty. In the early years of Kangxi's reign in Qing Dynasty, Zhejiang silver merchants in Beijing raised money to build ancestral hall and house to worship Zhao Gongming, the God of wealth. Therefore, it is also known as the silver guild hall. In 1712, Zhejiang merchants expanded Zhengyi temple and built a theater. Today, the whole wood structure of the theater building can still be described as "style". It is three stories high, with three sides of the stage open. There are square channels between the two floors of the stage, with hooks. It is used to create special effects when performing magic plays. In the 1930s, Tan Xinpei, Mei Lanfang, Wang Yaoqing and other celebrities all appeared here, witnessing the most glorious years of Zhengyi temple.

Since then, over half a century ago, Zhengyi temple has successively built warehouses, barracks, coal shops and schools. The courtyard was gradually "eaten" by the folk houses, with only one sixth of the original area. In 1954, the theater building was changed into a guest house, the hall became a dining hall, the stage was built up, several food windows were opened, and the backstage became a kitchen for cooking.

In 1994, a Zhejiang entrepreneur named Wang Yuming happened to pass by and saw the dilapidated and precarious Zhengyi temple. He decided to pay for the repair and operation of the temple independently and continue the fate of the old theater and Zhejiang merchants. A year later, a new Zhengyi temple was restored at a cost of more than 5 million yuan, and the opera string that had been interrupted for 60 years was continued. However, it seems that the re opening is "out of season". After only three years, the gongs of Zhengyi temple were closed again because of insufficient income.

Since April 2012, zhengyici theater has launched a new play, Phoenix drama and dragon tour.

Historical evolution

The Yici opera house has undergone four major renovations in history: first, huiban came to Beijing during the reign of Emperor Qianlong; second, around the formation of Peking Opera in the fourth year of the reign of emperor Tongzhi of the Qing Dynasty; third, Peking Opera became prosperous in the second year of the Republic of China; fourth, the major restoration in 1995.

After the cultural revolution, the theater was in disrepair for a long time. In 1995, entrepreneur Wang Yuming invested to rebuild the theater. At present, Beijing Opera is also performed in the theater. The theater is known as a living fossil in the history of Chinese theater culture.

In August 2005, the theater was closed for renovation.

name

The name of Yi temple comes from the God it worships. There are two versions of the god worshipped in Zhengyi temple

Zhang Daoling said

It is said that Zhengyi temple is related to Taoism. In the Han Dynasty, there was Zhengyi Dao (wudoumi Dao), which was created by Zhang Daoling. Zhang Daoling was respected as Zhengyi Tianshi. In the Yuan Dynasty, the northern and southern sects of Taoism gradually merged, so Zhengyi temple should be dedicated to Zhengyi Tianshi Zhang Daoling.

Zhao Gongming said

On the other hand, it is believed that there is a tradition of worshiping Marshal Zhengyi (the God of wealth) Zhao Gongming among the people, and that the silver house of Zhengyi temple should worship Marshal Zhao.

Both of them are called "Zhengyi", and because the word "B" and "Yi" are common in ancient China, "Zhengyi" is "Zhengyi".

structure

There is a theater building and a hall for assembly in Zhengyi ancestral hall. There is a tablet of Zhengyi ancestral hall. Yi temple is located in the north facing south, facing the street for nine inverted north room, deep five purlin with front porch. In the middle of the gate is the bright red lacquer gate. In the east of the hospital, there are three South rooms, five purlins and front porches. The courtyard is long from east to west and short from north to south, with two rows of guest rooms corresponding to North and south.

In the west is the theater building, covering an area of about 1000 square meters. It is three rooms wide from east to west, twelve purlins deep from north to south, two-story rolling shed hanging on the top of the mountain, the shed in the middle of the theater building is the pool seat, and the stage in the south. The viewing pool is about 100 square meters and can accommodate more than 200 people.

There are three floors in Taipei, East and West, with three purlins in one room and eaves on the second floor. The top of the stage is covered with wood carvings, and the side of the stage is connected with a two-story building by an overhead wooden ladder. The interior beams are exposed, and the original painting is painted with color. The balustrade with "Swastika" pattern is set on the floor, and the eaves board is hung with carved wood.

There are six theatrical rooms behind the stage (in the South), five main halls in front of the stage (in the North), three in the middle and two at the entrance of the stage. On the east side of the theater building, there are three paved rooms used by the original silver house.

Phoenix and Dragon

brief introduction

The new concept Peking Opera "phoenix play and dragon play" of the ancient theater version is a new Peking Opera launched by zhengyici theater in 2012. This opera skillfully grafts "Mei Fei" and "You Long Xi Feng", and tells a "love across time and space": when Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Mei Fei was out of favor because of Yang Yuhuan's entrance to the palace and moved to the cold palace. She had no choice but to commit suicide in an Shi's rebellion. After their reincarnation, Mei Fei incarnates as Li Fengjie and Li Longji incarnates as Zhengde emperor. They fell in love with each other at first sight, but Feng Jie didn't want to go back to the old way in her previous life and gave up a love affair of climbing dragon to become a Phoenix. In addition to the subversive ending of "unexpected and reasonable", the "Qian Dan Kun Sheng" is also the highlight. The male and female actors exchange gender in the play, which reproduces the plot of Mei Lanfang and Meng Xiaodong in the film Mei Lanfang.

The plot is full of emotion

In Xuanzong period of Tang Dynasty, a girl named Jiang Caiping was favored by the emperor of Tang Dynasty. She was honored as "Mei Fei" for her light make-up and elegant clothes. Later, Yang Yuhuan went to the palace and tried her best to make Mei Fei fall out of favor and move to the cold palace. Until the an Shi rebellion, Mei Fei committed suicide. The emperor of heaven decided that their fate was not over, so they met again in Meilong town. Mei Fei incarnated as Li Fengjie, Li Longji incarnated as Zhengde emperor, Liangxiang She fell in love at first sight, but she didn't want to go back to the old way of her previous life. She didn't follow emperor Zhengde. She gave up a love affair between Panlong and Chengfeng, but wrote down a new chapter of her own destiny.

Media evaluation

Beautiful appearance, exquisite clothing and aesthetic multimedia images make the audience in the 300 year old theater feel like a world apart. The elegance and humor of neoclassicism make it no longer obscure for Chinese audience to appreciate Beijing opera. At the same time, it also makes foreign audience feel the charm and magic of Chinese freehand brushwork aesthetics in the original sound and scene of panoramic stage.

——Beijing Youth Daily

"Phoenix play and dragon Tour", shangque is more traditional and classic, presenting the classic aria and artistic charm of Cheng school, focusing on the atmosphere, gorgeous, complex and elegant clothing, as well as the round and smooth singing. Xiaque dramatizes Peking Opera, which is novel, funny and interesting.

——Beijing Times

It is Xuanzong who is in a dilemma, but heaven and earth are calm. I'm proud of Meron.

——Audience evaluation

Performance information

Performance time: August 26, September 02, September 09, September 16, 2012

Venue: zhengyici theater, Beijing

Ticket price: 280 480 580 680 1500 3000 18000

Address: 220 Xiheyan street, Qianmen, Xicheng District, Beijing

Longitude: 116.385994

Latitude: 39.898804

Tel: 400-619-8848; 010-516

Traffic information: take bus No.7 or 15 to get off at the outer station of Hepingmen; take bus No.9, 22, 44, 66, 67, 337, 608, 673, ye5, TE2, te4 and te7 to get off at the east station of Hepingmen. Metro: exit C1 / C2 of Hepingmen station of Metro Line 2.

Ticket information: Tickets usually start at 260 yuan

Opening hours: 10:00-22:00

Chinese PinYin : Zheng Yi Ci Xi Lou