Pear Garden

…latter school was called the Pear Garden (Liyuan); ever since, actors in China have been called “children of the pear garden” (liyuan zidi). More than a thousand young people from all ranks of society drew government salaries while studying and performing at lavish state banquets and for official ceremonies. Acting…

…area in Chang’an called the Pear Garden (Liyuan), in which hundreds of additional musicians and dancers were trained and in which the emperor himself was most active. Such trainees were often female. They followed in an earlier tradition of court girls (gongnü) whose basic duties were to entertain distinguished guests.