History of Baotou Theater

The theater in Baotou has grown from scratch, from less to more, from attached to the liquor store tea house, dilapidated and decayed to a modern and professional theater, during which a long period of more than one hundred years has passed. Its rise and fall is closely related to the development of economic and cultural construction in Baotou area and the prosperity of the theater industry.

The earliest temple fair Ming Opera Stage

The early theatrical activities in Baotou date back to about the middle of the Qing Dynasty, when Baotou was just a village and town subordinate to the Saraki Hall. During the years of Jiaqing and Daoguang, due to the convenient transportation between Baotou and the flood and drought, a distribution center for livestock products, furs, and grain from the interior to the northwest region was gradually formed, and commerce and handicraft industry gradually developed. At this time, merchants in the mouth (Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Beijing and Tianjin) continued to come to Baoshizhuang to do business, and the number of inland immigrants gradually increased. The commercial handicrafts spontaneously established feudal patriarchal societies in accordance with their respective trades. By the end of the Qing Dynasty, there were already many such organizations in Baotou's industry and commerce, such as the "Nine Elements" and the "Sixteen Societies". In order to beg for the spirits of the gods and Buddhas, to bless them with prosperous business and the safety of people and animals, these organizations have raised funds to build temples, and every year they regularly hold shrine plays in various temples, and the history of the theater in Baotou should also be written from the temple stage at that time.

Most of the temples in Baotou were built during the Qing Dynasty. The earliest temples were the Donghe South Dragon King Temple. There is no writing on when the temple was built, and only the inscription of the restoration of the temple in the fifth year of the Qing Kangxi Dynasty (1666) remains. During the Qianlong and Jiaqing years, the Guandi Temple, the Lüzu Temple, the Mawang Temple, the Caishen Temple, and the Fire Temple were successively built, and the Golden Dragon King Temple, the Zhenwu Temple, the Longquan Temple, the Xi'naobao Dragon King Temple, and so on were built during the Daoguang years. Regardless of the size of these temples, they all have a ming opera stage, and every year the temple holds a sacrifice to the gods, one of the contents of which is to perform temple club dramas. The hosts of these activities respectively started from the social drama of the Qinglong Society of the Second Cai Temple on the first month of the first month of the old calendar year, followed by the 2nd Niuqiao Security Society Drama in February, the Golden Dragon Society Drama in the 3rd Golden Dragon King Temple in March, the 8th Grandmother Temple Festival Drama in early April, the 13th Lvzu Temple Society Drama in April, the 13th Guandi Temple Drama in May, the Fluffy Society Drama in the First Six Fortunes Shrine in Early June, the Fire Shrine Society Drama in the Middle Fire Temple in June, the Nanhaizihe Road Society Drama in Early July, the River Lantern, and so on.

In addition to the folk art "Dock Tune" (the predecessor of the duo) that was first active in Baotou, the performance on the Ming Opera Stage of the Temple Fair is more to invite Shanxi Hammer "Big Drama" to perform. In the 1920s, the famous entertainers who often performed at the temple fair were Brute Gong (Chang Xingye, Li Zi Jian Brother, Gong Qingyi), Gong Zhen (Li Zi Jian, Gong Dao Ma, Hua Dan), Li Cuifen (Li Zi Jian Wife, Gong Hua Dan), as well as Old Eleven Hong, Yuan BaoHong, Old Lion Black, Jade Root (also known as Jade Doll) and so on. Subsequently, jin opera actors Yuyin Hei, Twelve Reds, Three Lanterns, Zhao Tianxing, Xiao Guitao, nine-year-old reds, etc., Performed at the Ming Opera Stage of the Baotou Temple Festival, Hebei Wuzi actors Jin Sumei and Li Yongtai, as well as commentators Furong Hua, Jin Lingzhi, Peking Opera actors Huang Hanchen, Han Yueqiao and others. This kind of Mingtai social drama continued until the eve of the "July 7" Incident in the 26th year of the Republic of China (1937). In 1937, the Japanese occupied Baotou, and the temple festival began to fall, and there was no rise.

Theaters and theater gardens

During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, several theaters and gardens officially appeared in Baotou. Among them are specialized commercial theatrical performances, which are both restaurants and teahouses. The main ones are:

During the Guangxu period of Yisheng Spring, a theater rebuilt by a business name was originally located in the north of Xikou Road, Jiuchangcheng Lane, Donghe District. This theater is an earthen theatre with a long bench that can accommodate an audience of more than four hundred people, and each person watching the play charges twenty money- Because of the rudimentary equipment, it is impossible to attract officials and "nobles", and the ordinary people have temple fairs and Mingtai operas that do not cost money and are unwilling to spend money to come here, and famous actors cannot earn money by singing in this theater, so the business is depressed, and it barely lasts for five years before it goes out of business.

Shinwa won was the name of a mountain grocery store, originally located in a compound south of Dongchangsheng Street Road in present-day Donghe District. In the last year of Guangxu, Shinwa-won's backyard opened a restaurant and a theater garden, mainly selling wine and rice, and entertaining customers with plays. Customers only spend money on meals and do not spend money on plays (the actual ticket money has been added to the meal money). At that time, the commercial development of Baotou was rapid, the remuneration of various merchants was frequent, and the emergence of restaurants and opera gardens was precisely to meet this need.

East and West Huifengxuan its scale is slightly larger than XinheYuan, established slightly later than Xinheyuan, this is a chef surnamed Pang in the Caishen Temple South River Trough opened two restaurants, located in the east of the road called East Huifengxuan, operating ramen, dumplings, fire-fired pie, slightly wheat and other ordinary meals, customers are mostly small citizens layer; located in luxi is called West Huifengxuan, do not sell scattered seats, specially arrange banquets, customers can not only order at will, but also order at will. At that time, all merchants who negotiated business, who were promoted to high-ranking officials and nobles, who wished for a happy birthday or who married a wife and concubine, who had children and daughters, would all be feasted here to celebrate.

Shengping Tea Garden, a theater garden dedicated to acting, was built at the expense of the merchant Lian Yinhe around the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the People's Republic of China, and its original site was in the courtyard of No. 36, north entrance of Dingxiang Lane (now Xinsheng Lane). The brick and wood structure can accommodate more than 400 spectators.

The Gonghe Stage (also known as the Sanqing Tea Garden) was built with funds raised by Qiao Jucai, the owner of the big merchant Tianshengkui, and Wang Youzhen, a local businessman, and was diagonally opposite the present Jiefang Road Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. The venue can accommodate 800 spectators, with scattered seats and east and west wings. There are long wooden chairs with backrests, and there are slats for teapots, teacups, melon seeds and peanut plates. The audience does not have to buy tickets to enter the play, and the play is performed in the middle, and the theater accountant carries a cloth pocket, and charges the military and police personnel one by one with the bullet pressure.

At that time, Dingxiang Lane was one of the areas where brothels were concentrated. There are restaurants, photo studios, storytellers, snack bars nearby, hawkers are concentrated, and the market is bustling with tourists. Shengping Tea Garden and Gonghe Stage are in full swing, whenever the lanterns are on, there are always large gas lamps hanging at the door, red paper and gold posters writing the names of the famous characters, and sometimes large photos of the famous characters are embedded in the mirror frame, and hung in front of the door with red and green silk sheets. Performing in these two theaters are the famous Jin opera artists Li Zijian (磬磬), Brute Chi, Lao Sixteen Red, Lion Black, Taigu Twelve Red, Zi Du Sheng, Yu Yin Hei, Yu Er Sheng, Xiao Jinzhi, Xiao Jinmei and others. In 1920, under the influence of the "May Fourth" new cultural movement, Suiyuan Traveled to Peking University and the Beijing Normal University Alumni Association organized Jia Wu, Chen Zibi, Miao Guohua and others to publicize the new culture and discharged dramas such as "Peacock Flying Southeast" and "A Thought Difference", and returned to the gonghe stage for ten days.

In 1923, Zhang Shoude, the manager of the Department of West Brain Bao Yiqingchang, leased a piece of Xue Genyu's vacant land in The East End of PingkangLi (now the Xinxing Street Grain Station in Donghe District) and invested in it. The architectural drawings are completely modeled on the style of the Beijing Enlightened Theater, which is a civil structure, and the walls and roofs are covered with grass mud, wooden planks, and willow fences, and the quality is extremely poor. The scattered seats in the pool are all set up with wooden planks and wooden sticks, and the equipment is rudimentary. There are private rooms on both sides, which can accommodate more than 1,000 spectators. At the time of opening, it was performed by Peking Opera Haipai actors Li Tonglai, Yu Mingyan, Yi Dou dog and others, and the performances included "Tanuki Cat for Prince", "Stone Man Beckoning", "Shooting Yan Ruisheng", "Bao Gong Was Born" and so on. There was also a silent movie "Burning red lotus temple", and the business was once lively. Later, due to the leakage of rain on the roof on rainy days, the summer sunlight illuminated the audience, so the performance stopped and closed in 1929.

Tongle Tea Garden, opened in 1923, is located in the Middle Market. It was self-financed by Liu Mou (name unknown) and built a civil structure. The earthen platform bench can accommodate more than 400 people, and most of the performances in this are the two-person platform "play art" team. The mode of operation of the theater is leasing, and regardless of the profit or loss of the drama class performance, the rental fee must be paid to the landlord on a daily basis. After about four years of operation, it went out of business.

Kuihua Stage, in 1925, the Pingkang Company, which mainly runs brothels, and the Hebei actors Li Yongsheng (Erhua Face) and Li Yongtai (Ugly) brothers jointly built a civil structure Kuihua Stage Theater Garden in Pingkangli (now the south of the middle section of Xinxing Avenue) where the brothels are concentrated, which can accommodate more than 300 spectators. The Li brothers were good at socializing, and adopted the method of issuing "red tickets" (sending tickets to the business, at that time, no money was charged, only credit was owed), and they were funded by the big business. The theater garden comes with its own bottom bag (starting actors), drama boxes and martial arts scenes, as long as there are famous actors to take the class, you can sound the gong to start the play. The Li family brothers often went to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Hebei and other places to invite famous actors, such as Peking Opera female wusheng Han Yueqiao, Han Zhiqiao, Hongjing Gai Lianzhong, Wusheng Bai Junying, Jin opera old sixteen red, La Ling'er, flower girl, Xiao Electric Lantern, etc. to perform here, so the Kuihua stage was prosperous for a while, and the Li brothers also became the leading figures in the Baotou theater industry.

Northwest Drama Film Society, which was expanded and covered on the original site of the Kuihua Stage. In 1935, Pingkang Company increased its capital by another 5,000 yuan, and the original shareholders Li Yongtai brothers increased their capital by 3,000 yuan, and demolished and rebuilt the Kuihua Stage into a new-style theater with brick and wood structure, renaming it Northwest Drama Film Society. At that time, it was indeed a first-class theater, facing three entrance and exit gates, two terrazzo columns to support the façade, and the roof of the garden was covered with iron and asphalt, which was both rainproof and heat insulating. The stage is spacious and there is a small building of the Bunko Field. The pool seat is a long backrest chair, and the east and west sides are private rooms. The east, west and north sides of the second floor are scattered on three sides, and the whole venue can accommodate more than 1,000 spectators. The first manager, Fan Junshan (counter-revolutionary, suppressed), was deputy manager Zhao Yaozong. At the time of the inauguration, the grand occasion was unprecedented, and various companies came to congratulate them. The first performance was the Peking Opera class headed by Gai Lianzhong, followed by Jin opera celebrities Ling Li Zijian, Zhang Yuxi, Liu Mingshan, Liu Baoshan, Xiao Guitao, Nine-year-old Hong, Flower Girl, Floating on the Water, Critic Xi Cailian, Little Baby, etc., and the attendance lasted for a long time.

After liberation, the Northwest Theater was in charge of Xue Rongting. In 1956, it continued to operate the film and drama business. In 1973, the site fell into disrepair and became a dangerous building, so it was demolished. The original stage part was converted into a small rehearsal hall, which was occupied by the municipal local opera experimental theater troupe.

Japanese And Pseudo-Aggression Against China Criminal Organization - East-West Club and "Memorial Hall"

In 1939, the Japanese invading forces occupied Baotou. The following year, Xi Xiaozhou, the leader of the Baotou Brotherhood, defected to the Japanese Kou and, with the support of the Japanese army and the puppet city office, set out to establish two clubs in the east and west that also operated casinos and theater gardens to poison and exploit the people of Baotou. The West Club is located in the south of Xikou Road on Caishen Temple Street (the former site of the Peace Theater). Xi Takashi was personally in charge, and the Japanese military Tanaka and Nishimura served as advisers. The East Club was opened by the puppet Mongol army and was located in the east compound of the present-day Jiefang Road Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. Both clubs openly set up gambling rounds, and the treasure round is divided into one high-level game and three ordinary treasure rounds. The two clubs paid a contract fee of 3,000 yuan per day to the pseudo-municipal office. In order to seduce and attract merchants and people, the prodigal children gambled, and the two clubs set up stages, which can accommodate 500 to 600 people, and two plays a day and night. The matinee is from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and from 8:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. The cost of the drama class is paid by the club, and the audience does not need money to watch the play. This method has led many people from watching dramas and gambling to participating in gambling activities, and many people have lost their homes and even embarked on the road of robbery, murder or suicide.

The clubs pit our compatriots, but the Japanese rarely come here to gamble. In order to facilitate their own assembly and entertainment, the Japanese invaders requisitioned migrant workers to build a "Great East Asian Jihad Memorial Hall" (now the People's Cinema) in 1941. The memorial hall is all reinforced concrete structure, the pool seat is equipped with folding leather chairs, the staircase is carpeted, the stage is spacious, and the velvet curtain is hung. The main hall on the second floor has a billiards case, and the east and west sides are equipped with dance halls, bars, cold drinks departments, restaurants and barber rooms, which are very elaborate, and there are many antique porcelain decorations. Both the size of the building and the internal facilities were first class at the time. Except for Japanese military and political personnel and a few spies and traitors, Chinese are not allowed to enter the country. After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan, it was renamed "Zhongshan Hall", and the Kuomintang "robbery" officers looted the place, and precious materials such as carpets and antique porcelain disappeared, and even the cowhide of many chairs was also cut off. The venue is dominated by film screenings and dramas. In 1947, So Zhi, Li Xiaolan, Xie Fanghe and others came to Bao to perform the dramas "Beijingers", "Chongqing Twenty-Four Hours" and "Carnival Night". After liberation, the Municipal People's Government renamed it the People's Cinema again.

Theater after the founding of the People's Republic of China

The Yellow River Drama Cinema Palace was built in 1949 by the famous Jin opera artist Xiao Guitao and his husband Jiang Zhongren, together with Zhang Yulu Daosheng and others, invested 20,000 yuan to rebuild the compound site of Xiao Guitao. Opened in 1950, with Jiang Zhongren as the manager and Zhang Yu and Lu Daosheng as the deputy managers. After the opening of the theater, Xiao Guitao personally choreographed the new drama "Bai Suzhen" and caused a sensation in Baotou, and the venue was full, and all the investment was recovered in just one year. In 1956, the public-private partnership, led by the Municipal Bureau of Culture, was renamed the Yellow River Theater. In 1961, the expansion was carried out, and the second floor was added, and the number of seats was increased from more than 800 to 1,300. In 1971, a film projector was added and the scope of business was expanded. In 1973, all the staff and workers transformed the sitting position in the pool by themselves, and used the slats of the original benches to make a single-back chair and install heating. In 1982, the state invested 1.7 million yuan to redesign and rebuild. It is currently under construction and will become the first-class coliseum in Baotou after completion.

Xinxing Theater, in 1951, was built by Wang Yinglong (also known as Wang Fuyuan), a carriage household, at the site of the former "Play Art Garden" (at the west entrance of Xinxing Avenue). The equipment is relatively simple, can accommodate more than 700 people, and is performed by the Folk Music Society. Here he performed the large-scale opera "Fang Sijie" and became a sensation. In 1961, the state invested in the reconstruction and reconstruction of the Baotou Xiqu School rehearsal venue. In 1964, it was transferred to the Children's House and renamed the Children's Palace Theatre, which mainly performed children's programs such as puppet shows and movies.

Xingui Theater, after the construction of Xinxing Theater, then by the tile worker Dong Er (Wutai people) and Shanxi, Shaanxi merchants to build the Xingui Theater (now huajian No. 2 company car team site) in the south of Xinxing Avenue Dongkou Road, because of the simple architecture, so the masses also called it "Xi film garden", and later the Xinli Peking Opera Troupe (Zhang Weijun, Zhang Lijun, etc.) performed here.

Peace Theater, located on CaishenMiao Street, the former site of the West Club. It was built by Wang Qiyun, Wei Cunhu and others with a total investment of more than 10,000 yuan. Opened in 1953, the pool is divided into two corridors, east and west, and a small north building. It can accommodate a thousand spectators. Famous Peking Opera actors Nan Tiesheng and Shang Changchun, critic Xing Fengxiang, Jin opera actor Kang Cuiling and so on have all performed here. Public-private partnership in 1956. In 1964, it was transferred to the Donghe District Bureau of Culture and Education and changed to the Donghe District Children's Palace Theater. In 1974, the Donghe Cultural and Educational Bureau sold for 100,000 yuan to the Donghe Leather Goods Factory to be converted into a factory.

The Red Star Film Theater was organized by the Baotou Federation of Industry and Commerce. Opened in 1954 with a total investment of 180,000 yuan. The hospital is located at the junction of Ring Road, Shengli Road, Ximen Street, Xi'aobao Street, West Naaobao Back Street, Niuqiao Street, and the west side is close to the highway leading to Guyang and Shijiao, with convenient transportation, prosperous market, and the theater has been doing well. Public-private partnership in 1956. In 1975, the state invested in the construction of a dormitory building for actors that could accommodate 100 people, and in 1977, it was equipped with heating. Reinforcement repairs are currently being carried out as planned.

Kundu Lunchart is a film theater invested and built by the Municipal Bureau of Culture. Its architectural style is rich in Mongolian ethnic characteristics, and the internal facilities are also relatively perfect, located on the southwest side of the Bus Terminal in Kunqu District, which can accommodate more than 1,000 spectators.

In addition, the First Workers' Cultural Palace (located at the southern end of Fude Mulin Avenue in Qingshan District) and the Second Workers' Cultural Palace (located in the west of the middle section of Hongguang Avenue in Donghe District) under the jurisdiction of the municipal trade union system are both theaters with better conditions for concurrently performing films and dramas.

The booming factory and mine club

The rapid development of the industrial base in Baotou, the urban population soared from more than 40,000 in the early days of liberation to nearly 1.5 million, relying only on the cultural system of several theaters and the two workers' cultural officials of the trade union system, far from meeting the requirements of the cultural life of the people of the city.

Guyang County People's Film Theater;

Tuyou Banner Qingshan Theater, Workers' Club;

Suburban ErdaoshaHe Film Theater, Machi Township Film Theater, Hongqi Farm Club, etc.;

Baiyun Iron Mine Club, Baiyun District Movie Theater;

Shiqiu People's Film Theater, Mining Bureau Cultural Palace, Daihatsu Kiln Club;

There are Baotou Steel Club, Baotou Steel Children's Palace, Erye Dongfanghong Club, Erye Furnace Company Club, Erye Enterprise Company Club, Huajian Club, Inner Mongolia First Machine Factory Club, Inner Mongolia Second Machine Factory Club, Two O Second Factory Club, Railway Workers Cultural Palace, Baotou Refractory Factory Club, Baotou Motor Factory Club, Baotou Aluminum Factory Club, Baotou Light Machinery Factory Club, Long March Brick and Tile Factory Club, Yang Qulen Coal Mine Club and so on.

Factory Miners Cultural Palace, most of the clubs are near the residential area, workers can see movies, drama, music, song and dance, as well as various exhibitions and entertainment activities, and often hold some political, scientific, technical, literary and artistic lectures and lectures, etc., enriching the cultural life of workers.

By the end of 1984, there were 29 theaters, clubs, cultural palaces, children's palaces, and other theaters in Baotou that could screen movies and act, with a total of 33,000 seats and 74 seats, more than 20 times that of the early liberation period. In the past 30 years, these venues have received more than 100 literary and art groups from the central government and various provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, including Peking Opera, Jin Opera, Yu Opera, Hebei Zizi, Commentary, Qin Opera, Yue Opera, Qian Opera, Kun Opera, Drama, Puppet Theatre, Ji Opera, Qu Opera, Pu Opera, Duo Zhuan, as well as QuYi, Acrobatics, Song and Dance, etc. Many famous artists came to Bao bao to perform, including Ma Lianliang, Tan Fuying, Zhang Junqiu, Shang Xiaoyun, Xun Huisheng, Qiu Shengrong, Yuan Shihai, Ye Shenglan, Du Jinfang, Jiang Tielin, Gao Shenglin, Li Shiji, Wu Suqiu, etc., Li Yilan, Ma Tai and Xiao Baiyushuang in the opera industry; Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu, seniors in the Kun opera industry; Chang Xiangyu, Cui Lantian, Chen Suzhen and Zhang Baoying in the Yu opera industry; Niu Guiying, Guo Fengying, Wang Aiai, etc. in the Jin opera industry; Li Yilan, Ma Tai, and Xiao Baiyu in the opera critics; Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu in the Kun opera industry; Chang Xiangyu, Cui Lantian, Chen Suzhen and Zhang Baoying in the Yu opera industry; Niu Guiying, Guo Fengying, Wang Aiai in the Jin opera industry; Li Yilan, Ma Tai and Xiao Baixue in the opera critics; Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu, seniors in the Kun opera industry; Chang Xiangyu, Cui Lantian, Chen Suzhen and Zhang Baoying in the Yu opera industry; Niu Guiying, Guo Fengying, Wang Aiai, etc. in the Jin opera industry; Li Yilan, Ma Tai and Xiao BaiYushuang in the opera critics; Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu, seniors in the Kun opera industry; Chang Xiangyu, Cui Lantian, Chen Suzhen and Zhang Baoying in the Yu opera industry; Niu Guiying, Guo Fengying, Wang Aiai in the Jin opera industry; Li Yilan, Ma Tai and Xiao Baiyu in the opera industry; Yu Zhenfei and Yan Huizhu, seniors in the Kun opera industry; Chang Xiangyu, Cui Lantian, Chen Suzhen and Zhang Baoying in the Yu opera industry; Niu Guiy As well as famous cross-talk actors Hou Baolin, Ma Ji, Jiang Kun, Guo Quanbao and so on. The wonderful performances of these famous artists not only feasted the eyes of the audience in Baotou, which is located on the border, but also made the various theaters in Baotou, the venues that undertook their performances, feel very glorious.

P.S. In the process of writing this article, I have referred to Xiang Zaiyu and Comrade Guo Changqi's article published in the fourth series of "Baotou Historical Materials" "Theater and Drama in Baotou Before Liberation", and received the help of Wang Suizhi, Wang Shaoqing, Wang Yaochen, Zhu Fengming, En Yonghai and other elders, explained here, and expressed their gratitude.

Source: Compilation of Literature and Art History of Baotou City (Volume 1), August 1985, by Jin Chang, Zhai Guang, Hua Han. Huang Xiang (Yin Shan Worm) was sorted out in January 2022