Designed as guesthouses for scholars taking the imperial exams, the provincially based guild halls, or huiguans, evolved into entertainment centers after nightfall, with lively restaurants and theater performances. Arguably the most popular huiguan was that of Huguang province - today's Hubei. Refurbished in 1994 to its Qing era glory, the Huguang Huiguan does a brisk trade with contemporary tourists - keep this in mind the next time you have guests. One of its rooms serves as the Peking Opera Museum and features handwritten scripts, books and vintage photos of Chinese opera star Mei Lanfang, who often performed here. Snippets of famous operas are performed nightly in the ornate 300-seat theater. Watch the stage antics, sip tea and snack on roasted sunflower seeds. To show fellow patrons how well you've assimilated, shout "Hao!" at the top of your lungs after particularly acrobatic moves or high notes. Watch the performance intensely for a few moments and then go back to chatting with your friends. Do this repeatedly. The menu offers such dishes as sour soup fish (suan tang yu), san xian dou pi and lychee beef.
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