Wanfutai

Wanfutai

Wanfutai, located in Foshan ancestral temple, is the stage of ancestral temple. Built in 1658, it is a stage for acting. It was originally named huafengtai. During the reign of Emperor Guangxu (1875-1908), it was Nala's birthday and was renamed wanfutai. The platform is built on a 2.07-meter-high platform, with a Xieshan style rolling shed roof, without a Dougong. There are three rooms with a width of 12.73 meters and a depth of 11.78 meters. The height from the table top to the eaves is 6.25 meters. Because it is a stage, a partition board decorated with a large number of gilded wood carvings is used to divide it into the front stage and the back stage. The partition board opens from left to right for actors to enter and leave. The front stage is open on three sides, and the next room is the music pool.

Brief introduction of wanfutai

The open space in front of the stage is paved with bluestones for the audience to carry their own benches or stand to watch the play. There are corridors in the East and west of the open space. It is a two-story building, similar to a box, for the local gentry and their families to watch the opera. Today, South China is the oldest and best preserved ancient stage.

Special ancient stage

Wan Fu Tai's play was not for people, but for God

Wanfutai is facing the northern emperor. Before the founding of the people's Republic of China, all the dramas on the stage were "Shengong dramas", which were specially made for the northern emperor. Therefore, the selection of dramas was very strict. Most of them were dramas such as the Prime Minister of the six kingdoms, or dramas such as helping the world and praising the world, in order to thank the northern emperor or pray for good weather in the coming year.

Wanfu stage is very important, and various troupes compete on the stage in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty

Since the mid-Qing Dynasty, Foshan, as the hometown of Cantonese opera, the first stage of the Cantonese Opera Troupe must be performed in Wanfu stage first, to show auspiciousness and review the lineup, and then toured four townships. In the past, every industry's annual performance to celebrate master's birthday, apprentice's performance after the harvest, and so on, were all selected in Wanfu stage, which made Wanfu stage constantly sing songs and have many good performances. In a year, there were few days without performing songs and dances. Therefore, watching big operas here has become the most important entertainment for Foshan and its surrounding villagers.

When Cantonese Opera is performed, the empty space in front of Wanfu stage is often crowded with people, a lively and peaceful scene of "thousands of people watching Qionghua". For this reason, it is also said that there were dozens of bullies in Shengtang township at that time, who often dominated by themselves because of their high martial arts skills. They came to Wanfu terrace to see a play and forced them to set rules. In the first three rows of the open space in front of Wanfu terrace, only Shengtang villagers were allowed to sit, and people in other places were not allowed to sit around, otherwise they would be beaten. Chen Sheng, who was the owner of Foshan Hongsheng Museum at that time, felt aggrieved when he heard about the incident. He beat more than 40 big men with benches with his bare hands one night before the performance, and announced on the spot that this bad rule would be abolished from then on. The audience would come first and sit first, and the villagers clapped their hands.

The ancient stage in the Cultural Revolution

During the "Cultural Revolution", because of the breaking of the "four old", Cantonese opera was once severely damaged. Basically, there was no cheerful sound of gongs and drums in Cantonese opera, and wanfutai was once closed. After the "Cultural Revolution", Nanhai Great Hall first resumed the performance of Cantonese opera, and the feelings of the people in Foshan's four townships, who had been repressed for many years, were all released at once.

Cultural signs and symbols

Wanfutai -- a symbol of Foshan Cantonese Opera Culture

Cantonese Opera is known as the red bean of southern China. It is not only popular in Guangdong, Guangxi, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, but also spread to Southeast Asia, America, Oceania and Europe with the diaspora of Cantonese people. It has become popular all over the world with more than 1000 operas and nearly 10000 kinds of records. Foshan is the birthplace of Cantonese opera, and wanfutai has played an important role in promoting and leading the development of Cantonese opera. Nowadays, Cantonese Opera groups all over the world regard wanfutai as the source of Cantonese opera. As a brand of Foshan culture and a platform for foreign exchange, wanfutai brings the Cantonese opera culture of Foshan to the world.

Wanfutai has achieved the star dream of many famous Cantonese Opera actresses, and also witnessed the great success of the Opera master. On this stage, several generations of Cantonese Opera players have been put on the stage. Xue juexian, the founder of Xue opera, Bai Ju Rong, the king of Xiaosheng, Hong Xiannu, Ma Shizeng, Ruan Zhaohui, Luo pinchao and Lin Xiaoqun have all left their style and musical charm.

Address: No.21, zumiao Road, Foshan

Longitude: 113.114041

Latitude: 23.028528

Ticket information: no ticket required. Tickets are included in the ancestral temple scenic area

Chinese PinYin : Wan Fu Tai