Abstract:

In the late Qing Dynasty the opera house was very popular in Shanghai.As a theatre for traditional Chinese opera performance, its basic function was to provide services of leisure and entertainment for the social public by means of opera performance.Till early years of the 20^thcentury, in the promotion of an opera reform movement the opera was endowed with important tasks of enlightening masses and reforming society, thus giving more prominence to its social critical character.With the setting up of new stages, reforms on a theatre's architectural style, spatial structure and mode of performance, and bringing forth new plays, the theatre's integral atmosphere, social functions and spatial properties all had changes, and consequently it turned itself from an entertainment place in general to a critical public space.

Key words: opera house, opera reform movement, new stage, public space