The Three-tiered stage pleasant sound pavilion : a text of Sino-European synthesis and Chinese emperorship

Abstract

My goal is to use the only extant three-tiered stage Pleasant Sound Pavilion (Changyin Ge 暢音閣) as a way to understand exterior architecture and interior design of traditional Chinese court theater, Sino-European synthesis, five adapted court plays, gala performances, its ingenuity in the Qianlong reign (1736–1796). By focusing on this three-tired stage, this study also aims to analyze the symbolism of the Qianlong’s emperorship, the representation of the three-tired stage from Qianlong’s and other court audiences’ perspectives, and the power of court theater during this era. The “three-tiered stage” or chongtai sanceng 崇臺三層 was an innovation of Chinese theatrical architecture during the Qianlong reign, a heyday of court theater in the Qing dynasty. The Qianlong emperor commissioned the construction of four such gigantic theaters, of which three are no longer extant. The only one still in existence is the three-tiered stage Pleasant Sound Pavilion in the Forbidden City. This three-tiered stage reflects an ingenuity of the Qing court theater. It consists of Sino-European synthesis of an unusually-majestic exterior architecture, intricately-designed interior decoration, and creative theatrical properties. In addition, five court plays were adapted for awe-inspiring multi-day performances filled with artistic and visual innovations. Moreover the three-tiered stage Pleasant Sound Pavilion is a symbol of Chinese emperorship. It symbolizes the Qianlong emperor as Universal King. This reflects how the emperor employed the theater as a means to construct a new ideology of Chinese emperorship. From Chinese and foreign audiences’ perspectives, the three-tiered stage is represented as an entertainment venue that reflected prosperity during the Qianlong reign. Thus this massive theater synthesizes the power of Qing court theatricality and the theatricality of Qianlong’s sovereign power.