Xiao Jie

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Influenced by her grandfather from childhood, she loved traditional local opera and mastered a number of plays. Within the regional tradition and school record of Haicheng Laba Opera in Anshan, Liaoning: More than forty traditional plays of Haicheng laba opera survive today, which can roughly be divided into the categories of the one-person play, the two-person play and the three-small play; Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken), Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife), Shenzhou Hui and Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock) are representative works among them. These plays have simple plots and plain language, and most of them reflect the life of the labouring people at the bottom of society; with their popular and entertaining character they are deeply loved by the local masses. Haicheng laba opera circulates widely in Anshan, Haicheng, Yingkou, Dashiqiao and Liaoyang in Liaoning and the surrounding areas; because it first took shape around Niuzhuang in western Haicheng, and its principal instrument the suona is popularly called laba (horn), it is commonly known as Haicheng laba opera. In the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns of the Qing dynasty, as Haicheng stilt yangge flourished, laba opera moved from ground yangge into the stilt association, ingeniously weaving stilt skills and handkerchief skills into its performance and forming a form of performance combining stilt and play.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Female, Han ethnicity, born in September 1962 in Dengta County, Liaoning Province. In the early 1980s she was successively admitted to the Dengta County Pingju Troupe and the Anshan Quyi Troupe, accumulating considerable experience in theatrical performance. Her skills are comprehensive, and she excels in such techniques as the handkerchief and the long-distance throw, as well as martial combat scenes. Her voice is high and penetrating and her style distinctive; she is adept at the caidan, huadan and xiaodan roles. Within the documented technical tradition of Haicheng Laba Opera in Anshan, Liaoning: At the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasty, Haicheng laba opera first took on the shape of drama. The vocal music of Haicheng laba opera belongs to the qupai (tune-pattern) type, with the liu qiang and the miscellaneous minor tunes forming its important components. Affected by many factors, the traditional repertoire of laba opera is also being lost in large quantities. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken)": More than forty traditional plays of Haicheng laba opera survive today, which can roughly be divided into the categories of the one-person play, the two-person play and the three-small play; Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken), Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife), Shenzhou Hui and Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock) are representative works among them. "Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife)": More than forty traditional plays of Haicheng laba opera survive today, which can roughly be divided into the categories of the one-person play, the two-person play and the three-small play; Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken), Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife), Shenzhou Hui and Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock) are representative works among them. "Shenzhou Hui": More than forty traditional plays of Haicheng laba opera survive today, which can roughly be divided into the categories of the one-person play, the two-person play and the three-small play; Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken), Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife), Shenzhou Hui and Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock) are representative works among them. "Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock)": More than forty traditional plays of Haicheng laba opera survive today, which can roughly be divided into the categories of the one-person play, the two-person play and the three-small play; Wangpo Ma Ji (Old Woman Wang Scolds the Chicken), Shazhu Zi Jie Xifu (Foolish Pillar Takes a Wife), Shenzhou Hui and Ju Da Gang (Mending the Big Crock) are representative works among them.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of Haicheng Laba Opera, a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. She later received personal instruction from the Haicheng suona player Chen Yongping and the Laba opera artist Zhang Shaoren, and took Zhao Younian, a national-level bearer of Haicheng Laba Opera, as her master, concentrating on Haicheng Laba Opera. In recent years she has taken an active part in reviving such traditional works as Wang Po Scolds the Chickens, Liang Saijin Rolls Out Noodles, Little Herdboy and The Wall-Top Tale, and has carried out safeguarding and transmission work including taking disciples, teaching the art and participating in intangible cultural heritage showcases.

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. Xiao Jie · National Representative Bearer Archive