Special Features of the Bamboo Theatre

The bamboo theatre is mainly of bamboo and fir members, forming beam columns and frame, with the exterior covered with metal sheeting to keep out the rain and the sun. Scaffolding masters would determine the type of bamboo theatre to be constructed, based on the landform, the designated seating capacity, and the nature of the festival activities. The two common types are the “Dragon Boat Shed” style and the “Big Golden Bell” style.

The “Dragon Boat Shed” style is so-called because its outlook is similar to the temporary bamboo sheds built for storing dragon boats in the old days. Its structure is simple, with the ridge beam and the entrance of the bamboo theatre running on the longitudinal axis. It is therefore a low-level structure, often used for annual events like the Tin Hau Festival, Yu Lan Festival, etc.

The “Big Golden Bell” structure is bell-shaped, hence the name. It is more complicated than the “Dragon Boat Shed” style in that it has another level that rises to a pitched roof. The ridge beam runs perpendicular with the entrance, thus allowing for more roof space as well as interior space. The “Big Golden Bell” bamboo theatre is therefore built for Jiao Festival of larger scales.

Although the seating capacity of a bamboo theatre may be up to a thousand, the scaffolding masters only need such basic materials as two types of bamboo poles (known as mao jue and kao jue), Chinese fir and nylon ties, and tools such as the foldable saw, awl and gloves to complete the building process in a few weeks.

Since the bamboo theatre is constructed mainly for thanksgiving opera performances for the deities, it is always positioned in front of the temple or the Jiao Festival ground on location according to Chinese customs. The stage and the temple or the shed that houses the deity should run on the same axial line, with the entrance facing each other, to offer the deity a full view of the performances.

The nature of bamboo theatre building, which only requires the simplest of materials, gives the bamboo theatre its flexibility to be constructed and dismantled at any time, on any landform and gradient. Just by their hands-on experience, from design, construction and dismantling, the scaffolding masters can do them all. They do not need complicated calculations or drawing of plans, but can start work right away, using their expertise and gauging simply by eyes and hands. The finished work is structurally safe, aesthetically pleasing, and an embodiment of the age-old wisdom of Chinese architecture.

Behind the traditional know-how, the construction of the bamboo theatre also involves mechanics and ergonomics. The load of the structure is distributed from the roof trusses down, through the various fir members evenly to the rows of load-bearing columns, to the ancillary structures on all sides, then to the ground. In terms of ergonomics, the scaffolding panels are made up of grids of three feet, which is similar to the length of the human torso. Such a standard measurement enhances the efficiency in the scaffold-building process while ensuring the work safety of the scaffolding masters.