Ruicheng's Three-Stage Theater draws thousands in cultural revival

For the first time in contemporary history, the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Ruicheng county, Shanxi province, is hosting simultaneous performances on all three of its Yuan Dynasty stages, a rare architectural arrangement that has drawn thousands of visitors since early June.

Built in 1328, the theater features three stages connected side by side, a configuration seldom found in surviving Chinese opera venues. The current revival, which began on June 7 and runs through June 21, marks what organizers describe as the first complete restoration of a contemporary Yuan-Dynasty-era performance model in which three troupes perform three different plays at the same time, each accompanied by its own regional musical style.