Shaoxing is renowned as the hometown of opera. Lu Xun, a native of Shaoxing, inevitably touched upon this subject in his works. He specifically discussed She Opera in the novella ‘She Xi’, the essay ‘Impermanence’, and the miscellaneous essay ‘Women Mourners’. Additionally, She Opera is mentioned in various essays such as ‘Literary Chats Outside the Door’ and ‘The Art of the Second Ugly’, as well as in letters and diaries, highlighting the profound influence of She Opera on Lu Xun. The character ‘She’ in She Opera originally referred to the earth god, so initially, it was performed during the spring and autumn seasons in both urban and rural areas of Shaoxing as a sacrifice to the earth god for blessings and prayers. The spring performance is called ‘Spring She’, praying for prosperity in livestock and a bountiful harvest throughout the year; the autumn performance is called ‘Autumn She’, celebrating the favorable weather and national peace of the past year. The day of sacrifice is known as ‘She Day’, and influenced by this, Shaoxing still retains village names like ‘Ruan She’ and ‘Grain She’ to this day. Similar to many local operas, the performance venues for She Opera are generally divided into straw stages and temple stages. In the past, almost every village or region had a ‘Buddha Temple’, and there would be a birthday for the Buddha, so She Opera was often seen on these temple stages. Generally, She Opera performances would follow the custom of having a divine position, which is why Lu Xun mentioned in ‘Women Mourners’: ‘What I know is that forty years ago in Shaoxing, there were no high-ranking officials, so there were no performances specifically for people (private parties). All performances had a bit of ‘She Opera nature’, with the divine position being the main audience, and people went to watch, but only as a favor.’
Opening Hours: 13:00-14:30 from January 1st to November 22nd; 13:00-14:30 from November 24th to November 29th; 13:00-14:30 from December 1st to December 31st; 19:30-20:30 on November 23rd; 19:30-20:30 on November 30th. Concessions: Children: 1.2m (inclusive) – 1.5m (exclusive); Seniors: 60 years old (inclusive) – 70 years old (exclusive), with valid identification; Students: Full-time primary, middle, and high school students with valid student IDs. Additional Information: The above information is for reference only; please refer to the specific information disclosed by the scenic area on the day of your visit.Luzhen She Opera
Shaoxing is renowned as the hometown of opera. Lu Xun, a native of Shaoxing, inevitably touched upon this subject in […]
