The varnished lacquerware in Pingyao originated in the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (about 2000BC), developed in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and peaked in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Er ren literally means 'two people', and tai means 'stage'. Er ren tai therefore refers to a kind of folk opera in which two performers, usually one male and the other female, perform onstage.
