The City God Temple - Opera Theater Stage

The City God Temple - Opera Theater Stage was newly built in the 17th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1752) in Weixian County, Shandong Province, China, when Zheng Banqiao was appointed as the county magistrate of Weixian (Zheng Banqiao was a very representative literati painter in China, his poetry, calligraphy and painting were also known as the "three wonders"). Later, the theatre stage gradually fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1951. This stage (commonly known as the theatre) on the south side of City God Temple, as part of the temple complex for local citizens' activities, gatherings and opera performances. The building was divided into the front and backstage, with a total of three bays. The main part of the stage was a single-eaved hip-and-gable building with round ridge roof. The front of the building was supported by four load-bearing pillars, the shape was simple and elegant. The backstage was a gabbled roof building, with two rooms and two exits. There were two couplets hanging on this building; and the two large plaque on the front, each with four characters engraved on it. They were all written by Zheng Banqiao.