Chapter 68 Opening Ceremony (Part 4)
“Illusory Sound Pavilion…” Tian Fan murmured as he looked at the building in front of him.
After crossing a wooden bridge and entering Zone 2, turn to your right and you will see this exceptionally eye-catching building by the river, which makes you want to stop and admire it.
It consists of two pavilions, the main building and the annex separated by a river and connected by two arched sky bridges. The upper bridge resembles a crescent moon, and the lower bridge resembles a hanging rainbow. Truly, the covered walkways soar through the air, and the rainbow appears even after the rain.
The main building's three-story hipped roof seems to soar into the sky, its blue and green glazed tiles shimmering with a soft glow in the twilight. A row of gilded bronze bells hangs from the eaves, tinkling melodiously in the breeze. ①
What's most eye-catching is that the roof ridge is not the usual mythical beast, but a pair of phoenixes with outstretched wings and intertwined necks. The phoenix tail feathers are made of glass, and the warm golden sunlight shines through, emitting a reddish-gold and indigo halo, as if the divine birds are about to sing and spread their wings into the clouds.
No wonder so many people stop to take pictures here; it is indeed an extremely beautiful and stunning building.
Tian Fan couldn't resist taking out his camera and snapping away.
From the overall design to the smallest details, not missing a single point, and then immediately posting it to the group of ancient architecture enthusiasts.
[Is this a glazed tile roof ornament? Where in Shanxi province is it from? It looks brand new... Wait, this isn't a glazed tile, it's glazed glass! Wow, that's a big spender!]
No, no, look again carefully.
[Ah, I see now, the body is made of glazed tiles, and the phoenix tail feathers are also made of glazed tiles, interesting! The technique is quite impressive.]
[Back to Shanxi Province? Didn't Tian Fan go to Qinghe Ancient Town?]
Tian Fan replied, "Yes, this is the theater in Qinghe Ancient Town, called Huanyin Pavilion. I'm inside now, and the decorations inside are even more beautiful than the outside. I'll take a video to show you."
Wow, this is really interesting. I thought the only thing worth seeing in this town was Qinghe Tower, but I didn't expect there to be such beautiful architecture here.
I've seen many photos taken by others; it's a beautiful town and worth a visit.
It seems like only Tian Fan went, right? Many people in our group who bought tickets booked later dates.
I've also bought tickets, but haven't made any appointments yet. I'm thinking of waiting for Tian Fan's feedback first.
By this time, Tian Fan's video had already been released.
The interior of the Illusionary Sound Pavilion in the video is so luxuriously decorated that it makes viewers gasp in astonishment.
The black-lacquered pillars stand straight, supporting layers of brackets, and the glossy surface of the rosewood has been polished to the shine of a bronze mirror.
The intricate mortise and tenon structure, resembling lotus petals, and the carvings everywhere were polished with gold powder and gilded; the window lattices were inlaid with mother-of-pearl, shimmering with a subtle light, and paired with huge glass lamps and palace lanterns with silk ribbons hanging to the ground, the Suzhou-embroidered lotus scrolls on the lamp gauze were illuminated with a translucent light.
Sunlight streams in through the carved window lattices, illuminating the layers of gilded metal and casting shadows of the exquisite carvings onto the walls and floor. The shadows eventually condense into a misty gold dust, carrying with it the weight of bygone eras, floating in this space.
This is not a traditional classical Chinese building—it is, after all, a theater, and the configuration of the performance space must be taken into account. For example, it has a huge spiral staircase and even a retro old-fashioned elevator. However, it can be said to have gathered the essence of classical Chinese architecture.
This kind of Chinese maximalism is achieved through the interplay of light and shadow, space, and details.
Every part of it is exquisite.
Everywhere was extravagant.
Seeing the group chat erupt in excitement over the video, howling like a pack of hungry wolves, Tian Fan couldn't help but chuckle, feeling extremely smug.
He's the only one in the group today who's in Qinghe Ancient Town. He's going to post photos and videos to make everyone else envious.
He was surrounded by a bustling crowd, with the occasional soft screams of girls marveling at the beauty and extravagance of the place. People were taking pictures from almost every angle.
Tian Fan also heard many girls whispering:
"Oh my god, I didn't know there was such a scene. I should have dressed up nicely and done a makeover for the photos today."
"Next time, let's hire a photographer and bring Hanfu with us."
"I feel like this place is suitable for shooting many different styles of films, and it would produce great results."
When Tian Fan heard the word "released," he couldn't help but shudder. He knew that once this word was used, Qinghe Ancient Town was guaranteed to be a hit, and it would certainly attract a lot of attention in the short term. But it was very unfriendly to a photographer like him who only shot scenery and details, meaning that he would hardly be able to capture any establishing shots and would be lost in a sea of people.
He immediately decided to come here first thing tomorrow morning to take a round of photos.
It seems like I have a lot to do tomorrow morning...
So busy!
......
"Is it pretty?" Liu Han ran down the stairs, eager to see the pictures her roommates had taken of her.
"beautiful!"
Several girls chattered amongst themselves, looking down at the pictures on their phones with satisfied expressions.
"This place is so beautiful, every photo looks good here." Liu Han rested her chin on her hand, looking completely captivated. "I want to book a photoshoot right here. One set in the style of the Republic of China era, and another in the style of the Han and Tang dynasties. There are so many beautiful scenes outside, we could also shoot in the style of the Jiangnan region during the Song Dynasty, and also, an ancient fairyland style would be perfect..."
Roommate: "...You already have four sets."
Liu Han said confidently, "Anyway, I'm planning to buy an annual pass and come to take one set of photos every month!"
Previously, all of her roommates had purchased annual passes, but she had managed to snag a discounted single-day ticket and wanted to check it out first before making a decision. However, before she had even finished playing today, Liu Han was already planning to upgrade her single-day ticket to an annual pass later.
This morning they queued for the VR experience center, climbed Qinghe Tower, took a boat ride, ate snacks, and kept taking pictures. They haven't even been to Zone 5 yet; they've been wasting time in Zone 2. Just now, they saw this theater, went in, and were amazed, so they started taking pictures again.
However, they are very particular about taking photos. They never stay in one place for too long, taking two photos and then leaving. Moreover, they take one after another, following the rules. This has led to other people taking photos later also silently queuing up, which has inadvertently guided the order of taking photos here.
"Where do we go now?"
Liu Han glanced at the performance schedule she carried with her: "There's a show at 4:30 in the theater's annex..."
She frowned: "Watching a play isn't that fun, is it? How about we go to Section 5?"
Liu Han has a grandmother who loves listening to opera. When she was little, she was willing to listen with her grandmother, but as she grew up, she stopped liking it. She always felt that the opera's slurring and rambling was tedious and she couldn't understand what was so appealing about it.
My roommate, however, wanted to go and take a look: "Since we're already here, let's go check it out."
Since we're already here, this is a curse that no Chinese person can escape in their lifetime.
Liu Han eventually went with her roommates.
Tian Fan was following right behind them.
He originally wanted to go to the main building's grand performance hall, but it wasn't open yet; the performance was supposed to start at 7 p.m. He went down to the annex via an elevated walkway and then down one floor before finally seeing the stage.
This side has a more authentic ancient Chinese style, like being in a theater, but the decoration style is as elaborate as ever.
"Would you like to sit downstairs or in a private room upstairs?" the staff member asked with a smile. "Downstairs is free, but the private rooms upstairs are available at an extra charge."
Liu Han and her friends naturally chose to go downstairs. They just wanted to take a look and would leave immediately if they didn't like it. Why would they pay to sit in a private room? But Tian Fan really wanted to see the decorations in the private room, so he readily paid for it.
It's not too expensive, 120 yuan per person, including a tea and snack. If you want to book the entire private room, it will cost four figures.
But once inside, he immediately felt that his money hadn't been wasted. The private room was magnificent and extravagant, with everything from the glass and jade flower bonsai to the mother-of-pearl screens depicting different classic opera scenes, all worthy of close inspection.
Tian Fan was secretly amazed. This boss was really generous, casually displaying such good stuff in the private room.
Posting these in the group chat triggered another round of howls.
[If this were in a small local museum, they'd put up a rope to keep people away.]
[Toy cars can go into museums, so why can't these?] ②
Just as they were having a great time chatting, the sound of string and wind instruments drifted over.
The play is about to begin.
It was only then that he remembered to glance at the performance schedule and realized that it was a Yuan Dynasty miscellaneous song, "The Injustice to Dou E."
Just as he was about to raise his head, he heard a chanting sound. The voice was like a lark, or like a quenched silver arrowhead, suddenly piercing through the room full of gold. The atmosphere of the entire theater suddenly became cold and solemn, and the air suddenly tightened.
"Breaking the law without cause, and then facing criminal charges!"
Liu Han and her roommates had ordered a plate of melon seeds and peanuts and a pot of tea. They were leisurely eating melon seeds and chatting when they suddenly heard this sound. They stared blankly at the stage with their mouths open.
Then, Dou E, dressed in a plain white linen dress with a paper snowflake adorning her temple, emerged from behind the white gauze screen, her sorrowful yet resolute eyes sweeping over her surroundings.
"Oh my god..." Liu Han touched his arm and felt a dense layer of goosebumps.
So this is what it feels like to see a play live? It's completely different from watching it on TV... Wait a minute, she's been to the theater with her grandmother before, when has she ever had this feeling?
Before she could think it through, the second sentence followed immediately:
"His cry shook the earth and terrified the heavens!"
"In an instant, the wandering souls have already gone to the Hall of Hell, how can they not resent Heaven and Earth!"
This time, the sound was no longer merely piercing; it possessed an explosive force, like solid ice suddenly shattering in the depths of a frigid pool. Every word seemed to be imbued with immense injustice and grief, soaring from the dantian to the heavens before crashing back down onto the skulls of everyone present.
Liu Han felt her scalp tingle.
Zhu Lianxiu was completely immersed in the performance on stage.
This play, "The Injustice to Dou E," was written by her confidant Guan Hanqing in response to a miscarriage of justice at the time. Although it borrows a story from "Biographies of Exemplary Women," anyone with discerning eyes can see what it is about; it is practically a direct attack on the imperial court.
At that time, Guan Hanqing showed her the script, and Zhu Lianxiu raised her eyebrows without fear: "If you dare to write it, I dare to sing it."
Over the course of several years, she brought this play to all corners of the country. Wherever she went, crowds flocked to see it, young and old alike.
It could be said that Zhu Lianxiu was familiar with every turn on the stage, as if she knew the lines on her own palm. She was adept at knowing which line to sing softly and which to sing forcefully.
However, standing on this stage, she still felt different.
She felt a tremor within her body, as if a restless soul still resided within her, resonating with the stage. The moment the first line burst from her throat, she was no longer merely "playing" Dou E, but was seized by an overwhelming force, becoming the very being of that vulnerable woman, mercilessly crushed by fate, crying out in despair from the abyss of darkness!
She was Dou E.
Tian Fan hadn't put down the teacup she was holding from the very beginning. From the moment she opened her mouth, she no longer cared about the gilded carvings or the mother-of-pearl inlaid screen.
What's there to look at? Why not watch a play?
Liu Han was certain that she didn't like listening to opera, so why was her mind and emotions completely drawn to Dou E on stage? Wasn't it just Dou E's injustice? She had learned about it in textbooks and seen it on various television programs; logically, the plot was already nothing new.
Yet she listened intently, and when she heard, "Earth, you do not distinguish between good and bad, what kind of earth are you! Heaven, you have wrongly judged the wise and foolish, what kind of heaven are you!" she felt anger, sadness, and sensed Dou E's despair and resentment, as well as her unyielding spirit in the face of fate.
"Here, wipe it off." My roommate sniffed, handed me a tissue, and muttered, "My goodness, why didn't I realize how tragic Dou E was when I was in school!"
When I was in school, I knew that Dou E was tragic, but it seemed that the tragedy was only conveyed on the surface of the text. Based on their understanding at that time, they could not really empathize with her; it was just a text in a textbook.
But things are different now. Dou E's life, her emotions, and the flames of her life have completely enveloped them.
Liu Han took the tissue and realized that she had already silently shed tears.
She wiped herself, feeling a little embarrassed, but when she turned her head, she saw faces with expressions almost identical to her own.
Yeah, don't be shy, we're all in the same boat.
At this moment, Dou E on the stage had already made her vow and was executed, her blood splattering on the white silk. Tiny snowflakes began to fall on the stage, covering her body as she collapsed to the ground, instantly turning it into a vast expanse of white.
It wasn't just the stage; snow began to fall throughout the entire theater.
"It's really snowing..." Liu Han murmured as she caught a snowflake falling from the sky, "Snow in June."
The hexagonal snowflake melted instantly when warmed by her body heat in her palm.
Tian Fan watched as the icy snowflakes drifted down onto the railing, one by one, covering it in white.
Everyone sat quietly amidst the white snow. An almost stagnant solemnity filled the air. No one wanted to stand up or move, as if they had been completely conquered by a powerful artistic force, leaving behind a faint tremor.
After a long while, people finally started clapping.
The applause went from sparse to thunderous.
Liu Han and her roommates stood up and clapped so hard their hands turned red.
"Okay!" they shouted, their voices almost cracking.
Someone threw copper coins onto the stage, along with large silver notes. Tian Fan, sitting in his box, suddenly felt that a few copper coins were hardly befitting his status, so he wrapped the copper coins in silver notes and threw them onto the stage.
Zhu Lianxiu emerged from behind the white gauze curtain with a smile, and took her bow in turn with the other actors and musicians.
Her face was flushed.
Without needing anyone else's evaluation, she could feel it herself; this was absolutely the most outstanding, even stunning, performance of her career. This stage has magic.
If only... Hanqing could see this too.
Seeing how much everyone loves and praises his plays, he would be so happy that he would drink himself into oblivion all night.
Zhu Lianxiu raised her head, tears welling in her eyes, a mixture of remembrance and relief.
Her expression was captured in the cameras of many viewers, becoming a testament to the emergence of an artistic master who would later shock the world of traditional Chinese performing arts.
Liu Han was still very excited when she left the theater: "I can only imagine how happy my grandma will be when she sees this. I have to tell her... But never mind, I'm afraid she might get too excited and it could be bad for her health."
Her roommate suggested, "Why don't you send her a video first? I think a video is definitely not as shocking as being there in person. It'll be a good way for her to get used to it."
The experience of watching it live deserves more than 100 points. These young women, who have just turned 20, never imagined that they would be so passionate about traditional opera. I bet their friends wouldn't believe it if they told them.
Liu Han: "...I got so excited that I forgot to take a video."
At that time, very few people in the entire audience raised their phones.
In such a soul-stirring immersive experience, everyone forgot about their phones.
As a result, only one of the four remembered to take a video: "I'll send it to you."
Grandma Liu Han, who lives far away in another province, received the video, put on her glasses, and prepared to see what her beloved granddaughter had sent her.
Twenty minutes later, Liu Han received a call from her father, who was furious: "Damn it, what did you show Grandma? She was crying just now! Wait, did something happen to you?"
Mr. Liu's tone became very fearful.
Liu Han: ......
She explained, and Mr. Liu could only sigh and ask in confusion, "That's it?"
Liu Han: "That's it. I originally wanted to buy tickets for my grandma to come and watch the show, but then I thought she might get too excited, so I didn't buy them."
Mr. Liu: "It's too late..."
He was on speakerphone.
Before she could finish speaking, Liu Han heard her grandmother's voice coming from the phone: "Buy! Xiao Han, Grandma has money, I'll transfer some to you. Hurry up and buy me tickets, I want to go to the opera, and I'll invite you and Grandma Zhu and the others too."
Upon hearing this, Liu Han realized that it meant he was going to bring all his fellow opera enthusiasts along.
However, hearing her grandmother's strong and resonant voice, she felt relieved, as it seemed there was no problem.
As soon as I put my phone down, I received two thousand yuan transferred from my grandma, telling her to have fun.
Liu Han's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter as she said to her roommates, "Thanks so much for your video! Come on, I'll treat you guys to something to eat! Or, how about we go queue up at Song Sao Fish Restaurant?"
My roommate hesitated: "If we go, we'll miss the big show at 7 p.m.
Liu Han waved her hand and said, "What does it matter? We are valued annual pass holders! We can come whenever we want. It's good that many people choose to watch the show, so there will be fewer people queuing for food."
Food is the most important thing for people.
You have a point.
Her roommates were persuaded, and they abandoned the big performance and headed towards Song Sao Fish Restaurant.
Tian Fan also faced a choice: should he go to Qinghe Tower to watch the sunset, or stay and watch the big performance? If he came back after watching the sunset, there would probably be no tickets left for the performance. After thinking about it, he decided that since he was already here, he might as well watch the performance. He could save the sunset for tomorrow.
Emmmm......It feels like tomorrow's schedule is already full, he scratched his head.
I initially thought two days would be plenty of time, but now it feels a bit rushed. Also, that woodworking activity was really interesting; I really want to go back and do it again.
Should I change it to an annual pass? But he's not from Qinghe...
Tian Fan was caught in a dilemma.
At 7 o'clock sharp, the show began.
At 6:30, the large performance hall was already open to the audience. Tian Fan ate something quickly and entered the venue early. He also saw Qin Yue and Li Nuan, and the three of them huddled together again.
However, Qin Yue and Li Nuan had media tickets with excellent seats, while Tian Fan had a free ticket included with his admission ticket, which was located towards the back. Upgrading to front-row, center-area tickets would require paying the difference in price.
Recalling the soul-cleansing experience he had encountered that afternoon, Tian Fan reluctantly paid the extra for a better seat and successfully secured a place in the center. He was quickly relieved that he had paid early, as many later arrivals had already reached the end of the line when they tried to buy seats.
The style of the main performance hall is consistent with the entire theater, following the Chinese style of extremely elaborate carvings and gilding.
Especially when you look up, the caisson ceiling is quite outstanding.
Everyone sitting in their seats was uniformly tilting their heads back, taking photos of the caisson ceiling with their cameras and phones. Their posture was so synchronized that if someone were to wander in, they would surely think they had stumbled into a mass treatment for cervical spondylosis.
If Tian Fan thought the caisson ceiling of the Temple of Agriculture in Beijing was the most beautiful in the country, then this one would definitely be second in his mind, and even rival the first.
The caisson ceiling of the Temple of Agriculture has four layers and consists of 68 celestial pavilions. The caisson ceiling here also has four layers, and the carvings and paintings should all depict famous scenes from the history of Chinese opera and drama.
"That must be Du Shiniang angrily sinking the treasure chest!" he heard someone next to him exclaim in surprise.
“That one,” someone else found a familiar one and excitedly told his companion, “that sculpture should depict the Drunken Concubine Yang.”
......
"Which one is 'The Peony Pavilion' or 'A Dream in the Garden'?" In the largest private room, Lu Xiaoqi and the people around her were also trying to identify it.
"The injustice done to Dou E, I have found the injustice done to Dou E."
A group of people were equally enthusiastic about the search.
Seated next to Lu Xiaoqi were Ren Zhijiao, Professor Lin, Qian Chenghai, and other distinguished guests she had invited. Yuwen Kai, Zhang Zhongjing, and others were also present; everyone who had time to come had come.
Director Sun was also there.
In his words, his mission was now complete, and he could finally sit down and take a look.
He was very excited. He had seen the results of the previous rehearsals and believed it to be the pinnacle of his artistic career. Strangely, he had initially envisioned this play to be rather simple, just a decent commercial performance for a tourist attraction.
But for some reason, as I stood in line, I was amazed by how amazing it was.
Perhaps it was because the actors were exceptionally good, and the stage was exceptionally good, that inspired him?
In short, Director Sun is now a little too proud. He's become arrogant, and he thinks he might be able to compete for the director positions of those important galas next year.
Lu Xiaoqi glanced at him and silently sipped her tea.
Never mind, don't discourage him.
The lights dimmed; the performance was about to begin.
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