Hakka Capital - The Splendid Tingzhou (Part 9): Tingzhou Baxi Hall

The eight joys of Tingzhou represent eight kinds of joyful events in life, which are the joy of passing the imperial examination, the joy of marriage, the joy of childbirth, the joy of coming of age, the joy of setting up a new household, the joy of moving to a new home, the joy of birthdays, and the joy of a good harvest. Baxi Hall encapsulates the cultural essence of the Tingzhou Hakka people, presenting the traditional customs and etiquette associated with these eight joys in their entirety. Seeing is believing. Only by entering the Tingzhou Baxi Hall can one enjoy the joy of the Tingzhou Hakka people and experience the profoundness of Tingzhou's folk culture. Located in the historic Dongda Street, Baxi Hall is a typical Beijing 'Siheyuan' courtyard house with a cleverly arranged layout and a covered walkway leading to a small stage. Outside the stage, the dougong brackets and the resting eaves are glittering with gold, dazzling to the eyes. Above hangs a plaque that reads 'Yi Shi Rong Chang,' and on the pillars beside the stage hangs a couplet that expresses the refined pleasure of watching operas and listening to music. Inside the stage, another plaque with 'Ren Yi Wei De' and the door lintels with 'Chu Jiang' 'Ru Xiang' highlight the Hakka people's aspirations to honor their ancestors and achieve high official ranks. Wooden staircases are on both sides of the stage. On the second floor, there are exhibition halls for 'the joy of marriage,' 'the joy of childbirth,' 'the joy of coming of age,' 'the joy of setting up a new household,' 'the joy of passing the imperial examination,' and so on... Continuing up to the third floor, the 'joy of moving to a new home,' 'the joy of birthdays,' and 'the joy of a good harvest' are further displayed. Each exhibition hall showcases real objects, statues, images, and texts, making visitors feel as if they are in the midst of celebration. Tingzhou Baxi Hall, a concentrated expression of the cultural essence of the Tingzhou Hakka people, is a microcosm of the life of the Hakka people in Tingzhou. The Hakka people of Tingzhou tenaciously carry on many intangible cultural heritages, such as the 'Hundred Pot Feast,' 'Grass Dragon Parade,' 'Welcoming the Lantern Festival and Walking the Ancient Rituals,' 'Tingzhou Carved Paper Dragon Lantern,' and more, with real objects on display, offering a feast for the eyes. Hakka Baxi Building