Making a play on the past

Immersive musical helps revive historical opera theater's fortunes, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

Following its inscription as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 2019 and subsequent restoration, the Beijing Huguang Guild Hall reopened to the public at the beginning of last year.

Originally a private Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) residence, the complex was refurbished and expanded during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) as a gathering place for people from Huguang, which refers to today's Hunan and Hubei provinces, and a traditional Chinese opera house was added in the 19th century.

This operatic legacy continues today. The site now hosts the Beijing Museum of Traditional Opera, and since 2024, an immersive musical inspired by the venue's history.