Changyin Pavilion

Changyin Pavilion

Changyin Pavilion is the performance building of the inner court of the Qing Dynasty, which is full name of Changyin Pavilion of ningshou palace. It is located in the east of Yangxing hall in the Palace Museum and the south end of East Road in the back area of ningshou palace. It is located in the South and north of ningshou Palace. It was built in 1772 and completed in 1776. Jiaqing seven years (AD 1802) had maintenance, 22 years after the Pavilion (South) to build volume shed top play theater. Guangxu 17 years (AD 1891) maintenance.

position

The existing buildings were reconstructed in Jiaqing period. Changyin Pavilion is the largest stage in the Forbidden City. It is also known as the three major theatres in the Qing Dynasty, together with the deheyuan Grand Theater in the summer palace in the west of Beijing (built for imitating Changyin Pavilion) and the Qingyin Pavilion Grand Theater in Chengde summer resort.

purpose

In ancient China, opera was the main entertainment in the imperial palace. Every festival, such as new year's day, the beginning of spring, Shangyuan, Dragon Boat Festival, Tanabata, Mid Autumn Festival, Chongyang, winter solstice, new year's Eve, as well as the emperor's accession to the throne, the empress's birthday and other major celebrations, will be in the palace. In Qing Dynasty, there were many places for performing in court: one was between Taiji palace and Changchun palace; another was in Chonghua palace in the north of Xiliu palace, with a stage for sofang studio. The large-scale Changyin Pavilion is specially used for performing in major festivals. Most of the operas performed here are auspicious immortal operas. According to the records, during the reign of the Empress Dowager in the late Qing Dynasty, whenever there were festivals, she always went to changyinge to see the opera, accompanied by the emperor, empress, concubines, wives, princes and ministers. On the Empress Dowager's 50th birthday in 1884, in order to perform in changyinge for the empress dowager, she spent as much as 110000 taels of silver on costumes and props.

building structure

Changyin Pavilion, with triple eaves, 1.2 meters high, 20.71 meters high, has a total area of 685.94 square meters. It is covered with green glazed tiles, yellow glazed tiles, and yellow glazed tiles on the first and second floors. The pavilion is three rooms wide and three rooms deep. It is connected with the South five bay drama building, and the plane is convex. Under the upper eaves hang the plaque of "Changyin Pavilion", under the middle eaves hang the plaque of "Daohe Yitai", and under the lower eaves hang the plaque of "Hutian Xuanyu". There are three levels of stage, the upper level is called "Fu Tai", the middle level is called "Lu Tai", and the lower level is called "Shou Tai".

Architectural features

Among them, Shoutai covers an area of 210 square meters. There is no column in the platform, and the angle beam is used. There are four stairs at the back of the table, which connect with the platform. You can reach Lutai by climbing the stairs. The two pillars in the Ming Dynasty of Shoutai, East and West are decorated with painted wooden plaques with ghost faces and grass patterns. On the north side, however, there is a couplet: "when the leaves are moving and quiet, you can know the water and Renshan will follow you; when the spring and autumn is rich and beautiful, Fengge and Luan dance are suitable." In addition, in Tao Yuanming's migration, there is also a poem about "the best days in spring and autumn, new poems about climbing high". There is a ground well under the middle of the platform. A winch is installed in the ground well. It is usually covered with a wooden plate. The cover plate can be opened and closed. According to the content of the drama, the scenery and characters can be lifted out of the platform from the ground, resulting in the dramatic effect of drilling out from the ground or water. For example, in the performance of "Di Yong Jin Lian", four big lotus flowers are slowly drilled out from under the platform, and a Bodhisattva sits on one lotus . Under the stage, there is a manhole in each corner of the ground, and a well in the middle of the south, which can provide water for the performance.

Lutai and Futai both use the front (north side) as the platform, so that the audience can see it when they look up. According to the needs of the plot, the patio and the ground well can lift the actors and props. For example, when performing fairies and immortals, the windlass is used to send the scenes and actors down from above, resulting in the dramatic effect of falling from the sky. There are not many plays using three-tier stage, most of which are only performed on Shoutai, while Futai and Lutai are only used in some ghost plays.

surrounding environment

The Yueshi building on the opposite side of the stage is divided into upper and lower floors, where the emperor and his concubines watch the opera. The East, West and north sides are surrounded by two-story circle buildings, and the palace maids and ministers can watch the Opera under the corridors of the buildings on both sides. Behind the building is Qingshou hall.

Address: in the Palace Museum

Longitude: 116.40085

Latitude: 39.920611

Chinese PinYin : Chang Yin Ge