In the Qing Dynasty , the royalties and aristocrats liked songs and dances , and were intoxicated in operas , especially Beijing opera . For instance , Emperor Guangxu was good at beating the time-marking wooden drum . In the earlier period of the Qing Dynasty a palatial department called the Training Department was in charge of the affairs of songs and dances . Then this department was revoked and its charges were taken over by other departments . Music was administered by the Harmony Department outside the palace , and the operas were administered by the Southern Department , which was a division of the Internal Affairs Department . As Cao Xingquan recounted in his book “Memoirs of Opera Performances in the Former Qing Palaces” , the three biggest stages were situated in three palaces , the largest being situated at Rehe Temporary Palace which is the biggest . The two next stages were situated at Tranquility-Longevity Palace and Summer Palace .
　

　　Near Shishahai Lake in Beijing was located the Mansion of Prince Gong of the Qing Dynasty , which is the “best-preserved princely mansion” at present . In this mansion , there was a large theatre , where the unique Chinese stringed-instrument orchestra performed , which included pipa , sanxian (three-string plucked instrument ) , erhu ( two-string Chinese fiddle ) , etc ., The Qing scholar Rong Zhai wrote a book entitled “Reference to Stringed Music” . In the book he listed thirteen instrumental ensembles . All the thirteen ensembles were played in this mansion . One can well imagine the scene there , when the mansion was brightly illumined at night , and plays were presented at the theatre . When the aristocrats enjoyed the performances , they used to request their children to watch them too , in order to mould their character and improve their morality .