Li Daijiang

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Li Daijiang, Male, Unspecified, from Lvjuyuan, Shandong, is a third-batch national representative bearer of Luju Opera (Ⅳ-116). The tradition is documented in Lvjuyuan, Shandong. Within the regional tradition and school record of Luju Opera in Lvjuyuan, Shandong: Lu opera was formerly called "zuqiang yangqin" (seated-tune yangqin) and "huazhuang yangqin" (painted-face yangqin). It evolved and developed out of Shandong qinshu by absorbing folk flower-drum, ditties and local tunes, and is popular in Shandong and in parts of Jiangsu and Anhui.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Born in December 1933 in Shen County, Shandong Province, he is of Han ethnicity. In 1951 he was admitted to the Liaocheng Prefecture cultural and artistic work team, and in 1953 he transferred to the Shandong Luju Company. After joining the company he received careful instruction in basic skills, acting and vocal technique from Tian Julin, Li Haiting, Shang Zhisi, Liu Meicun, Zhang Bin and others. Drawing broadly on many sources, he established the role characteristics of the young male (xiaosheng) in Luju through his pure voice, clear articulation, fluent melodic line and relaxed yet dignified stage presence. On the theoretical side he has formulated methods of singing based on a command of ban rhythms, modal clarity, a sense of tempo, the discrimination of the four tones, familiarity with rhyme categories and knowledge of local dialect. His signature works include Wang Dingbao Borrows the Pawned Items, Li Ersao Remarries and The Virtuous Sister-in-Law, all warmly received by audiences. Within the documented technical tradition of Luju Opera in Lvjuyuan, Shandong: It belongs to village art, playing out the affairs of farming households and singing out the feelings of farming households; its roles are centred on the "three small" of xiaosheng (young male), xiaodan (young woman) and xiaochou (comic), and its lyrics and spoken lines also draw largely on everyday folk usage. When it is sung, its principal accompanying instruments are the zhuihu, the erhu and the sanxian. The vocal music of Lu opera evolved from folk popular tunes and belongs to the typical banqiang (ban-style) structural system, being made up of such modes as "siping" and "erban" together with a certain number of tune patterns. Its melodies are simple and plain, beautiful and pleasing, natural and easy to render, easy to learn and easy to sing, and they are saturated with a strong flavour of everyday life and local character; among the people in the areas where it is popular it enjoys the reputation of a "post for tethering wives". Lu opera has close to three hundred plays in its repertory, among which Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are representative works. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Wang Xiao Drives the Cart": Lu opera has close to three hundred plays in its repertory, among which Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are representative works. "Sisters Swap Marriages": Lu opera has close to three hundred plays in its repertory, among which Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are representative works. "Li Ersao Remarries": Lu opera has close to three hundred plays in its repertory, among which Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, Sisters Swap Marriages and Li Ersao Remarries are representative works.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a national representative bearer of Luju opera, a third-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Li Daijiang · National Representative Bearer Archive