Traditionally, activities worshipping the earth would be held in China during Earth-Worship Days (she ri), usually around the Spring Equinox (March 21) and the Autumn Equinox (September 23). Theatrical performances on the Earth -Worship Days (she xi in Chinese) were a necessary part of pleasing the god of earth for a particularly bountiful harvest year.
Yesteryear of Shaoxing She xi
She xi in Shaoxing, Zhejing Province has been widely known largely because Shaoxing is the hometown of Lu Xun（1881-1936）, the Chinese literature guru, who once wrote an article entitled She xi. In this article, the middle-aged novelist recalls his happy childhood when She xi played a big part.
Before the Earth-Worship Days came, a stage had to be built either in front of a temple housing the god of earth or in the middle of rivers. Since Shaoxing has a complex web of rivers, it’s not unusual to see stages pop up from rivers in many villages. People from neighboring villages would row their black- awning boats to watch performances.
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