Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
A History of Chinese Performance Spaces

A History of Chinese Performance Spaces

Wenming, Che

Hardcover

Series: China Perspectives

Chinese HistoryTheater History

PREORDER - Expected ship date October 21, 2026

ISBN10: 1032665688
ISBN13: 9781032665689
Publisher: Routledge
Published: Oct 21 2026
Pages: 546
Weight: 0.99
Language: English

This book traces the history of spaces used for Chinese opera performances (xiqu), from early ritual grounds and temple stages to guild halls, commercial theatres, court playhouses, and modern urban venues. It shows how xiqu was profoundly shaped by the environments in which it was performed.

Based on extensive fieldwork, archaeological materials, inscriptions, and historical records, the book explores how these spaces were constructed, utilised and managed, and their links to religion, local society, commerce, architecture, and state power. It covers developments from early China through to the twentieth century. The narrative highlights how these spaces influenced the styles, practices, and growth of xiqu, with a special focus on significant surviving stages, particularly in Shanxi.

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