Structure Type: Opera Stage 戲台.

Location: Yaoqu Village, Yu County, Hebei Province 河北省蔚縣邀渠村. Note that I’m not certain what this village-name means (“Inviting-Channel”?). The stage faces north to an old Temple to the Three Officials 三官廟, now a village shop. The temple and stage are located outside south gate of the old fort, on either side of the road leading east.

Period: 19th century. I’m a little bit agnostic about the date of these murals; they could be early (late 18th century?) or quite late (early 20th?).

Artist: Unknown.

Mural Contents: The murals show a large folding screen 屏風 with painted panels. Around the edges of the screen, life-sized actresses peak out at the audience. This trompe-l’œil screen trope, with or without the “peaking” actors, is relatively common in Yu County stage murals.

Other Notes: When I first visited the village in 2013-4, the stage was kept boarded up. It was later repaired in 2018, which involved smearing gaudy gilt colors over the gorgeous old wood-carving, and painting over all old graffiti within the stage. That said, the stage is now kept open, such that I was able to photograph the murals.

Full Gallery