Nanyang Fawang Temple | A Stage Through Time

The Nanyang Fawang Temple in Nanyang Village, Jishan, Shanxi, boasts a remarkable opera stage 🎭. Facing west, the square stage is encircled by a covered walkway. Its cross-gabled roof, adorned with glazed colored tiles, retains its grandeur despite the passage of time. The layered dougong brackets exude an aura of ancient simplicity and magnificence. Inside, the stage is free of exposed pillars, with the corner columns concealed within the walls, creating a spacious interior. Looking up, one sees the intricate beam structure, where corner beams, upward-sloping beams, and dougong brackets interconnect to form a Bagua coffered ceiling. This ingenious ceiling structure is said to have amplified the actors' voices in the past 👍. Murals adorn the back wall of the stage. The centerpiece is the timeless image of a blue dragon emerging from the clouds, flanked by the Eight Immortals. Though the colors have faded with time, the figures remain vividly depicted. The stage was renovated in the seventh year of the Chenghua reign of the Ming Dynasty, yet its design retains characteristics of the Yuan Dynasty. This ancient treasure stands as a testament to the vibrant theatrical performances of bygone eras 🎉.