Huguang Guild Hall (Beijing, China)
Huguang Guild Hall
The Huguang Guild Hall in Beijing is one of Beijing's most renowned Beijing opera (Peking opera) theaters. Regard as one of best wooden theatre in Beijing, the Huguang Guild Hall was first built in 1807, It was one of centers of political and social life in the Late Qing Dynasty, where authoritative officials and average persons had fun together, dining, chatting and watching Beijing Opera staged by famous actors.
Huguang is the only guild hall owning a theatre and the first guild hall renewed and opened in line with its original layout. that has been a major stage of Beijing Opera house, the leading Beijing opera Stars often give performances to the public at night.
The entire complex covers a large area, and the main buildings of the hall include the opera building, Wenchang building, Xiangxian Temple and Chuwan hall. The theater is known for its sumptuous interior, which is colored in red, green, and gold, with tables and a stone floor. The Huguang Guild Hall also contains a small museum which exhibits the theater's history of Beijing opera.
Built in 1807, and at the height of its glory, the Huguang Guild Hall, along with the Zhengyici Peking Opera Theater was known as one of the "Four Great Theaters" in all of Beijing. Many famous past and present opera performers have performed here.
On August 25, 1912, the Chinese Nationalist Party (Kuomintang or KMT) was founded at the guild hall at a convention of the Revolutionary Alliance, led by Sun Yat-sen, and five smaller pro-revolution parties. Together they formed the KMT to contest the first national elections of the Republic of China. The guild hall held several hundred party activists and several thousand spectators.