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Yuexi County, located in the hinterland of the Dabie Mountains,on the border of Southwestern Anhui,is a multi-cultural region and also one of the counties which have the most genres of drama in Anhui Province. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the widespread dramas in the mountainous area such as Huangmei Opera, Yuexi Gaoqiang Opera and Tanqiang Opera, Eryangzi Opera, Puppet Play, etc., promoted greatly the development of the stage in ancestral halls. So far, the county still maintains a large number of family clan stages, which become a powerful source for studying clan culture and drama environment.The emergence and development of stage in Yuexi ancestral halls received the impacts from many factors including politics, economy, clan law system and folk culture on the theatre building, covering its site, axial symmetrical layout, orientation, location, decoration and drama performance. Although the activities in the ancestral halls such as worshiping ancestors and spirits and drama performances were quite sacred and serious, the clan gathering and drama spectating there were filled with a friendly atmosphere of a happy union between people and their ancestral spirits.The stage structure of the ancestral halls is“Wannian Stage”with three sides open. The stage, forming a unit with the gate, was on the second floor and below the stage was a passage to the gate, which, full of varieties in space, is rarely seen elsewhere. The spectating space in the halls, with the stage as the center, the architectural decoration and brilliant colors, creates an enjoyable and widely appealing atmosphere.The stage in Yuexi ancestral halls, not only a valuable historical and cultural heritage of the Chinese nation, but also a "living fossil" of the past life, has an important reference value to the study of architectural structure, drama culture, aesthetic taste, habits and customs in the history of Yuexi. With the rapid development of society, the stage in Yuexi ancestral halls is disappearing. In the new era, we must not only repair and protect the ancient stage, but also inherit and carry forward the outstanding Chinese traditional culture.
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