Micro Theatrical Stage

A theatre stage is a special place built for theatrical performances. Ancient Chinese theatres are basically wooden structures, and can be divided into two types: single-storey and double-storey. The single-storey stage is built on a pedestal, which is generally about 1 metre high; the double-storey stage is built on top of a passage, which is mostly a mountain gate, about 2 metres high. From the opening angle, it can be divided into two types: one-sided view and three-sided view, and there are also those in between.

The stage from its wooden structure, more in the four corner pillars with a big bucket of birds, the big bucket on the four horizontal large frontal square, to form a huge box, the box below the space is larger performance area, the top is to bear the weight of the entire roof. This architecture form of Efang meet the need of a stage of larger perspective space. In the early Yuan, Weicun, Wang Qu stage, there's an auxiliary pillar at two sides of the rear one-third, the Shan wall is behind the pillar and connect to the back wall. The tent can be set between two auxiliary pillars, thus, the stage is divided into two parts, the front stage and the back stage. There's no Shan wall on both sides, so it can be viewed from three sides. This type of theatre can be proved by the model of theatrical model found in the Macun Golden Tomb and Houma Golden Tomb, Jishan County, Shanxi Province. The tent which is used for divid the front and back stages, it can be seen in the Yuan dynasty murals, in the Ming Ying Wang Hall of the Water God Temple at Guangsheng Temple in Hongdong. This construction method, however, changed in the middle and late Yuan dynasty, in the Dongyang and Caogong stages, where the two mountain walls were built up, and the audience can only watch from one side. This construction method was largely followed since Ming and Qing dynasties, the front stage was only made wider and the entrance to the stage was divided into three openings.