Ancient opera house in Forbidden City reopens to public

The Opera House of Changyin Pavilion, also known as the Pavilion of Pleasant Sounds, in the Forbidden City, has reopened to the public on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. This follows a series of upgrades to the Pavilion.

Actors perform on the stage at the newly reopened Changyin Pavilion in the Forbidden City on Tuesday September 19, 2017.

Representatives present at the Taihe Civilizations Forum attended the opening, which included Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera performances. A Greek singer and a Bulgarian musician also performed at the event.

Actress Gu Weiying performing Peony Paviliion, a Kunqu Opera, on the stage at the newly reopened Changyin Pavilion in the Forbidden City on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

Changyin Pavilion is the biggest theater inside the Forbidden City. It was built in 1772 under the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The recent upgrading will make it possible for palace opera repertoires to once-again be staged.

An actress waves her sleeves on the stage at the newly reopened Changyin Pavilion in the Forbidden City on Tuesday, September 19, 2017. [Photo: VCG]

Sitting on a 1.2 meters high stone base, Changyin Pavilion stands nearly 21 meters high, and takes up over 685 square meters. Changyin has three floors. The upper floor is called the "Stage of Happiness," the middle floor is the "Stage of Wealth" and the lower floor the "Stage of Longevity."

In the Qing Dynasty, watching operas was the major entertainment in the palace. Operas would be performed on various occasions, including the Lunar New Year, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival as well as other important occasions, such as the emperor's accession to the throne or the birthdays of emperors and his concubines.