A cultural and tourism event themed "Watching The Protagonist, Touring Ruicheng, and Playing in the Mountains and Rivers" kicks off on June 7 at the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

For the first time in contemporary history, the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Ruicheng county, Shanxi province, is hosting simultaneous performances on all three of its Yuan Dynasty stages, a rare architectural arrangement that has drawn thousands of visitors since early June.

Built in 1328, the theater features three stages connected side by side, a configuration seldom found in surviving Chinese opera venues. The current revival, which began on June 7 and runs through June 21, marks what organizers describe as the first complete restoration of a contemporary Yuan-Dynasty-era performance model in which three troupes perform three different plays at the same time, each accompanied by its own regional musical style.

A cultural and tourism event themed "Watching The Protagonist, Touring Ruicheng, and Playing in the Mountains and Rivers" kicks off on June 7 at the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The site has gained wider visibility as a filming location for the hit TV show The Protagonist. Local officials have incorporated the association into the event's branding, with the themed program titled "Watching The Protagonist, Touring Ruicheng, and Playing in the Mountains and Rivers".

On opening day, the area beneath the ancient stages was filled with spectators, and the surrounding open ground was crowded with theater fans and tourists from 13 counties within Yuncheng city, as well as those visitors from neighboring Henan and Shaanxi provinces.

A cultural and tourism event themed "Watching The Protagonist, Touring Ruicheng, and Playing in the Mountains and Rivers" kicks off on June 7 at the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The event has brought together opera masters from all three provinces to demonstrate intangible cultural heritage techniques, including lying fish (a tumbling acrobatic maneuver), hat wing technique (balancing and manipulating long pheasant feathers), and flower spear (rabid, choreographed spear play).

During the festival, daily performances of local intangible cultural heritage operas, including Pu opera, string opera, and Yanggao opera, are scheduled across the three stages, achieving what organizers have called "ancient stage plays every day". In addition to the shows, the site offers interactive experiences, such as opera makeup application, costume changing, and guided park tours, allowing visitors to dress in period attire and photograph themselves on the historic stage.

A cultural and tourism event themed "Watching The Protagonist, Touring Ruicheng, and Playing in the Mountains and Rivers" kicks off on June 7 at the Three-Stage Theater in Donglyu village, Shanxi province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Three-Stage Theater holds significant value for architectural research, historical verification, and the study of opera culture. For decades, it existed under a static preservation model that prioritized structural conservation over public access or performance use. The current event represents a deliberate shift toward active cultural programming.