By importing the Peking amateur society (piao fang 票房) as the site for learning acting, and by turning out talents in Peking Opera, the amateur societies of Shanghai not only eased the commercial tension in the Shanghai theatrical world, but also qualitatively changed the amateur society from an old-style private association, to one based on the collection of tuitions that is a club. As a result, the definition and composition of theater connoisseurs (piao you 票友) became much wider. Due to the social scene in Shanghai, theater connoisseurs joined these communities no longer for the personal pursuit of performing on stage, but in order to expand their social networks and partake in the collective consciousness of modern society. The theater community of amateurs (piao jie 票界) took form with the influence of Shanghai, partly due to the beginning of an imagined nation following the trans-migration across geographical spaces, from north to south; and partly due to the practical use of media, even the sub-chain management system. This resulted in the magnificence of the theatrical world, from amateur society to community. Under the new Republic, professional actors were no longer summoned by the imperial court. Previously, such summoning elevated the status of the actors and bestowed on them the invisible honor of patronage. With the end of the imperial era, theater connoisseurs saw their chance to show off their talent and replace imperial patronage with their cultural capital. As their sponsorship of the actors became the norm during the Republican Era, connoisseurs not only freed themselves from the role of competing against professional actors in the market, but also developed a partnership where they shaped and looked out for one another. Shen Bao finally began to increase its coverage of news related to amateur societies and theater connoisseurs, an indication that the influence of the theater community of amateurs was on the rise.