In Shanghai, the performing conventions constitute an important part of the urban customs. They incorporate the customs, beliefs and habits which have been accumulated during the artists' long-term performance. As an embodiment of national culture and art, these conventions distinctly present the local characteristics of Shanghai. They are mainly composed of temple-fair plays, private theatricals, occupational plays, and seasonal plays.
Temple-fair Plays
With a long history, the temple-fair play of Shanghai prospered in the Wanli Period of the Ming Dynasty. According to the local custom, there will be temple fairs on the birthdays of all Taoist and Buddhist gods. After the sacrificial ceremonies and guild activities, there will be plays intended to pray for a good harvest. The temple-fair play is often integrated with local traditions of worshiping the Land God in spring and the Kitchen God in autumn. For instance, in every spring and autumn, there will be similar worshiping activities and temple-fair plays in the old Town God Temple in Zhujiajiao of Qingpu District.
In downtown Shanghai, there are temple-fair plays frequently on show. For example, in the Town God Temple near Yuyuan, sacrificial activities are held three times a year, known as "Sanxunhui." Temple-fair plays constitute an integral part of "Sanxunhui." Besides, in Longhua Zhenwu Temple, "Qingmiao plays" are put on to worship Zhenwu the Great Emperor, a Taoist god also called Xuanwu Shen (black warrior god).
Private Theatricals
After the middle Ming Dynasty, theatrical art prospered to an unprecedented level. In Shanghai, the landlords and wealthy businessmen regarded theatrical performance as indispensable to festivals and family banquets. Usually there were two kinds of performers. Some came from the private troupe, including adolescent singers, female musicians and dancers. Others were professional artists employed to give a performance. Usually a red woolen carpet would be spread out in the hall which would then serve as the performance venue. Sometimes, there was a ready theatrical stage or building in the private garden.
Occupational Plays
During the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, club houses and guild halls began to spring up in Shanghai. These clubs and halls were based on either the same occupation or the same geographic region. As a result, occupational plays came into being. In ancient Shanghai, the occupational plays broke down into two categories, specifically, performance given by professional troupes, and independent plays inside the club house and guild hall.
In addition, people from the same guild could either charter a theater to hold a party and enjoy a play, or invite professional troupes to give a performance in a club house and guild hall.
Seasonal Plays
In Shanghai, there has always been a custom of putting on plays according to the solar terms. In ancient times, agriculture was the foundation of China. There has been a close relationship between farm work and the solar terms of an entire year. On the festivals included in the solar terms, some relevant folk tales will be developed into plays and then performed on the stage. Such plays have become a major part of festive entertainment.
