History of Chinese Performance Spaces
Product details
- ISBN 9781032665689
- Weight: 453g
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 29 Sep 2026
- Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd
- Publication City/Country: GB
- Product Form: Hardback
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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.
Written for scholars and students of Chinese theatre, art, architecture, and cultural history, this book also appeals to librarians, curators, and general readers seeking an engaging and accessible account of China’s rich theatrical heritage.
Che Wenming is a professor at Shanxi Normal University, China. He is a three-time winner of the Ministry of Education’s Outstanding Achievement Awards in Scientific Research (Humanities and Social Sciences) for Higher Education Institutions. His research focuses on opera relics, the history of Chinese opera, and theatre history.
