A Kunqu opera performance is staged in the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Suichang county – located in Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – has been named as one of the first key bases for social science popularization in the province, according to local media reports.

The hall, which honors Tang Xianzu, a renowned Chinese playwright who lived during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is among 21 units that made it onto the list for social science popularization.

Tang Xianzu wrote his masterpiece The Peony Pavilion in Suichang 430 years ago. The play is considered an important milestone in the development history of Chinese drama literature.

In recent years, Suichang has been exploring the cultural connotations of Tang Xianzu and has moved to build an innovation highland centering the culture surrounding him.

The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Suichang was built in 1995. In 2006, the original memorial hall was integrated with Chen's Mansion, an ancient residence that is provincial-level cultural relic protection unit from the Ming Dynasty residence. The integrated memorial hall covers an area of about 2,500 square meters.

The structure has a front yard, a museum building and a back garden. It comprehensively displays Tang Xianzu's life, political and educational achievements, artistic achievements, as well as performances, research and comments on The Peony Pavilion.