During the Qing Dynasty, a new term emerged in the history of Chinese opera: Liyuan Guild Hall. Chinese opera has always had an alias, “Liyuan”, and opera performers are also known as “disciples of Liyuan”. Initially, the Liyuan Guild Hall was a trade union organization and spiritual home for opera artists. With the development of the times, Chinese opera has become a gem of traditional Chinese art and an important form of folk culture.
There are a wide variety of interesting opera genres. The performance forms combine singing, dancing, speaking, and martial arts, integrating “singing, acting, reciting, and fighting”, and standing out in the world’s drama history.
The Liyuan Guild Hall was jointly founded by the famous Sichuan opera actress Hu Xuemei and the private entrepreneur Liao Xiaojian (formerly a Sichuan opera actor). It is located in Wenshufang, the central leisure and tourism area of Chengdu.
The guild hall originated after the “Wenchuan Earthquake” in 2008. To entertain opera fans, it spontaneously organized “public-benefit performances”, which became the spiritual pillar of countless opera lovers during that special period. It adheres to the belief of “living for oneself and singing for the audience”.
Today’s Liyuan Guild Hall is not only a “Sichuan Opera Training Base” for national intangible cultural heritage but also jointly established a public welfare fund for the inheritance of intangible cultural heritage Sichuan opera with the Chengdu Charity Federation, contributing its part to the inheritance of Sichuan opera culture.
It initiated the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Sichuan Opera Parent-Child Special Session”, attracting many parent-child families to approach and understand Sichuan opera.
Taking Sichuan opera as the main focus, the Liyuan Guild Hall promotes the reputation of “viewing the world with Sichuan opera”. Here, you can go backstage, have close contact with artists, and watch colorful Sichuan opera performances such as face-changing, fire-spitting, rolling lamp, kung fu tea art, puppet shows, shadow puppet shows, etc., to feel the charm of traditional culture.
The Liyuan Guild Hall makes friends through the hall and gathers famous domestic opera artists here. While presenting authentic Sichuan opera culture to tourists coming to Sichuan, it also creates special sessions of classic operas from various places and brings together performances of folk unique skills.
The Liyuan Guild Hall has lofty aspirations. Here, you can watch operas, taste tea, and enjoy local special snacks. If you are an “opera fan”, you can dress up as a famous actor here and experience the saying of “one minute on stage, ten years of hard work off stage”. If you come because of your “hobby”, you are welcome to join the “disciples of Liyuan”, and we will jointly inherit and carry forward Chinese opera culture.
Opening hours: Open from 09:00 – 23:00 throughout the year.
Preferential policies: Children under 1 year old (excluding) are free.
Service facilities: Parking lot: [Underground Parking Lot of Wenshufang Scenic Area]. Reference price: 8 yuan for 2 hours, 2 yuan for each additional hour. Address: Underground Parking Lot of Wenshufang. Number of parking spaces: 800
