Linfen, formerly known as Pingyang, has a long history and is not only the birthplace of Chinese civilization but also the cradle of Chinese opera art. There are only eight Yuan Dynasty theaters left in the country, with Linfen occupying five, proving that it is an important activity center for ancient Chinese opera. On April 20-21, the national media journalist collection team for the "Why China · Culture on the Roof" online dissemination activity arrived in Linfen and embarked on a two-day tour of ancient stages in this hot land. Why did Linfen monopolize five Yuan Dynasty theaters? According to the "Annals of Emperor Taizong of the Yuan Dynasty", "Shanxi Tongzhi", and "Puzhou Fuzhi", during the Yuan Dynasty in southern Shanxi, every village had a temple, and every temple had a stage. At that time, theatrical performances were quite popular, and stages were set up to sing plays during festivals, temple fairs, ancestral worship, weddings, and building houses, resulting in the grand scene of "setting up stages in every village". During the Yuan Dynasty, Linfen flourished as a hub for the creation and performance of traditional Chinese opera throughout the country. Zheng Guangzu, one of the Four Great Masters of Yuanqu, was born in Linfen, and his adaptation of "Qian Nv Li Hun" is the most famous. These five Yuan Dynasty ancient stages are concentrated in Yicheng County and Yaodu District of Linfen. There are two in Yicheng County and three in Yaodu District. The wind collecting group first arrived in Yicheng County, which is the birthplace of the ancestors of the Jin Dynasty and has a profound cultural heritage. The Qiaoze Temple Stage is located in Wuchi Village, Nanliang Town, Yicheng County, with a construction area of 174 square meters. It is the largest surviving Yuan Dynasty stage in China and a national key cultural relic protection unit. According to the inscription, the Qiaoze Temple stage was first built in the first year of the Yuan Dynasty's Taiding era (1324) and was repaired during both the Ming and Qing dynasties. The stage faces south and north, with a base height of 1.6 meters, a nearly square plan, and a single eaved gable roof. There are four corner standing columns and four supporting columns on both sides of the rear half and the back wall, totaling eight columns to support the top load. The Dou Ba Zao Well is huge and exquisite. The front and sides of the stage are open and visible, allowing for viewing of the performance from three sides, exhibiting distinct architectural features of Yuan Dynasty dance buildings. Local actors performed the Yicheng Flower Drum and Body Plate on the stage, both of which are national intangible cultural heritage. The Four Holy Palace Dance Tower, located in Caogong Village, Xiyan Town, Yicheng County, is a Yuan Dynasty dance tower praised by experts and scholars as "small and exquisite, simple and elegant". The Four Saints Palace is the only millennium palace in China that enshrines the famous ancient saints Yao, Shun, Yu, and Tang together, and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. The dance hall is located on the central axis of the palace, opposite the main hall, facing south and north, with a small three sided view. The plane is nearly square, with a single eave gable roof, yellow green glazed roof ridge, and east-west mountain flowers. There are four corner pillars standing on the platform, supporting the intersecting cross shaped corners and the large cross shaped railing, with a magnificent eight sided coffered ceiling. What is particularly special is that there are theater towers on both sides of the main hall. Local villagers performed the traditional dance of Yicheng Ugly Flower Drum on the dance floor. The Yicheng Ugly Flower Drum has a history of more than 300 years, characterized by "holding flower drums in the mouth", "dancing while beating drums", and "starring clowns", integrating martial arts and acrobatic movements, with a humorous and lively style. According to He Jun, a performer of the intangible cultural heritage Ugly Flower Drum, during major festivals, they would perform the Ugly Flower Drum on the dance floor, and the villagers would come to watch, which was very lively. Leaving Yicheng County, the wind collecting group came to Yaodu District to visit two other ancient Yuan Dynasty theaters. One is the Dongyang Houtu Temple Stage, located in Dongyang Village, Tumen Town, Yaodu District, and is a national key cultural relic protection unit. The stage faces south and north, with a square plan and a cross shaped gable top. There are two circular angular stone pillars standing in front of the stage, with a lotus covered pillar foundation below. The pillars are decorated with lotus flowers and peony peanut children. The inner eaves, beams and arch of wooden architecture have three layers, which are stacked into eight trigrams shaped caisson. The structure is unique and exquisite, so the stage, also known as the Eight Trigrams Pavilion, is the most exquisite of the only seven early stages in the country. It is an important material material for studying the development history of Yuan drama in Pingyang and the stage construction regulation in the Jin and Yuan dynasties. The other one is the Niuwang Temple Stage, located in Weicun Town, Yaodu District. It was built in the 20th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1283) and is the second oldest stage in China. It is also a key cultural relic protection unit in the country. The stage faces south and north, built on a brick foundation 1.4 meters high, with a nearly square plan and a single eave gable roof. It has a three sided view and retains the complete Song and Jin music pavilion system. Its ancient and exquisite structure has become a precious object and a wonderful work of ancient architecture for studying the development of Chinese opera. On the stage, first-class actress and winner of the 32nd China Drama Plum Blossom Award, Liang Jing, appeared on stage to showcase the beauty of traditional Chinese opera through her graceful movements. When it comes to the difference between performing on an ancient stage and performing in a modern theater, Liang Jing said, "I used to go to the countryside with a theater troupe and have performed on many ancient stages. Compared to modern theaters, it feels really different. The theater is more organized and professional, with good lighting and sound, but there is always a distance between it and the audience. The ancient stage is different. It is located among the villagers, and the stage and stage are very close to each other. The atmosphere of fireworks and human touch is not found in the theater. Moreover, the sound field of the old stage is very special, without too much amplification, which tests the actors' real voices and skills. As soon as they speak, the sound circles around the beams and columns, and that kind of charm is very unique in modern theaters. Difficult to replicate. Standing on top, people will naturally sink down, be more heartfelt, and immerse themselves in the play Liang Jing said that in her eyes, the ancient stage is not just a stage for singing opera, but the root of the century old inheritance of Hedong opera and Pu opera. It carries the craftsmanship of the older generation of artists who adhere to their original aspirations and pass them down from generation to generation, carries the local customs and nostalgia passed down from generation to generation by the people, and more importantly, carries the patriotism of traditional Chinese culture that is constantly evolving and passed down from generation to generation. Every brick and tile is the accumulation of time, every beam and every tree hides the cultural context of Pu opera, which is the most precious cultural nostalgia and spiritual belonging for us opera performers. In Linfen, the wind gathering group also visited a special stage - the stage of the Chenghuang Temple of the ancient buildings in Fencheng, Xiangfen County. It is adjacent to the scene observation workshop of the game Black Myth: Wukong. The main structure of this stage was built in the Ming Dynasty, and it is a passing style stage with double eaved gable roofs. The design is unique, with a stage above and a pedestrian walkway below. It is a national key cultural relic protection unit. The ground of its audience area is the only well preserved ground paving in China, and it is a precious object for studying the development of ancient Chinese opera. The last stop of Caifeng came to Linfen Museum, which is a comprehensive museum and a national first-class museum. The museum exhibition is divided into four parts: "Ancient Footprints," "Early China," "Jin Ba Spring and Autumn," and "Qianqiu Pingyang." It collects 140000 precious cultural relics from various historical stages, from the Paleolithic period of Dingcun 100000 years ago to the Republican era, comprehensively showcasing the historical relics and cultural resources of Linfen. In the "Qianqiu Pingyang" section, there is a special exhibition hall called "Pink Ink Appears", which displays numerous precious cultural relics that witness the development of Linfen opera. At this point, the nationwide media reporter gathering activity for the online dissemination of "Why China's Cultural Heritage on the Roof" has come to a successful conclusion. Guarding the heritage of ancient architecture and continuing the cultural roots are the key to ensuring the longevity and intergenerational transmission of Chinese cultural heritage. After several days of non-stop travel, members of the wind collecting group met and had in-depth conversations with ancient stages that had weathered centuries of storms and had different shapes. They are not only unique ancient architectural treasures, but also tangible witnesses of the rooted roots of traditional Chinese opera culture in the countryside and its continuation from generation to generation. This online dissemination activity has enabled more people to see, remember, protect, and inherit these ancient buildings and opera culture, vividly responding to the era's proposition of "why China". (New Society)