Li Minsheng
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Li Minsheng, Male, Han, from Heyang, Shaanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Heyangtiao Opera (Ⅳ-133). The tradition is documented in Heyang, Shaanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Heyangtiao Opera in Heyang, Shaanxi: Heyang tiaoxi is also known as tiao diao, diao diao xi, diao xi or luogu za xi (gong-and-drum miscellaneous drama); it is an ancient local operatic genre that circulates in the belt along the Yellow River. Heyang tiaoxi (jumping drama), also called tiao diao, diao diao xi, diao xi or luogu za xi (gong-and-drum miscellaneous drama), is an ancient local operatic genre transmitted along the Yellow River; it belongs to the shexi (village operatic society) category. It has no vocal styles in performance and uses no string instruments; only the large gong, large drum, nao cymbals and suona accompany it from the side, and the performers use 'speech' and 'chanting' to accomplish the tasks of 'singing' and 'spoken lines', communicating with the audience through relatively mechanical movements of ancient ethnic dance. Performance is divided into wordless jumping (yamiao, plaza jumping) and stage jumping (shangtai tiao); differences in the environment in which it developed, in folk customs and in the inheritors have produced different schools of performance.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Li Minsheng is anchored in the documented technical standards of Heyangtiao Opera in Heyang, Shaanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Heyangtiao Opera in Heyang, Shaanxi: It belongs to the shexi category: it has no vocal styles in performance and uses no string instruments; only the large gong, large drum, nao cymbals and suona accompany it from the side, and the performers use 'speech' and 'chanting' to accomplish the tasks of 'singing' and 'spoken lines', communicating with the audience through relatively mechanical movements of ancient ethnic dance. Tiaoxi performance is divided into wordless jumping (yamiao, plaza jumping) and stage jumping (shangtai tiao). Before a wordless jumping performance opens, gongs and drums first 'beat the danzi' (da danzi) to gather the audience. In a stage jumping performance the 'spring official' (chun guan) enters the stage first and improvises humorous and witty lines on the spot, describing local scenic sights, recounting the joys and sorrows of the farmers, complaining of the oppression of officials and gentry, or praising the assembled cast; this is followed by a martial combat act habitually called 'striking the stage platform' (da taizi). After the play begins, a martial character entering the stage first 'mounts his manner' (shang shi): he must tread out all four corners of the stage and step out 56 drum beats before sitting in the tent or taking the hall; a civil character entering the stage likewise has to 'tread the four corners' (cai chang, treading the stage). 'Mounting his manner', 'treading the stage' and 'running the stage' (pao chang) are all basic skills of tiaoxi, and there is a fixed set of performance formulae for them. The repertoire of tiaoxi is marked by martial combat; most of it draws on stories from the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, Investiture of the Gods and the Generals of the Yang Family, and there are also 'literary jumping' (wen tiao) plays of the Ma Nao Huan (The Agate Ring) type. The lines in the plays are concise, mostly in the form of four seven-character lines. Tiaoxi has distinctive facial patterns, original tune patterns and archaic performance, and differences in the environment in which it developed, in folk customs and in the inheritors have produced different schools of performance. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Ma Nao Huan (The Agate Ring)": The repertoire of tiaoxi is marked by martial combat; most of it draws on stories from the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, Investiture of the Gods and the Generals of the Yang Family, and besides such works there are also 'literary jumping' (wen tiao) plays of the Ma Nao Huan (The Agate Ring) type.
Ma Nao Huan (The Agate Ring)
The repertoire of tiaoxi is marked by martial combat; most of it draws on stories from the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, Journey to the West, Investiture of the Gods and the Generals of the Yang Family, and besides such works there are also 'literary jumping' (wen tiao) plays of the Ma Nao Huan (The Agate Ring) type.
Core Technique I
It belongs to the shexi category: it has no vocal styles in performance and uses no string instruments;
Core Technique II
only the large gong, large drum, nao cymbals and suona accompany it from the side, and the performers use 'speech' and 'chanting' to accomplish the tasks of 'singing' and 'spoken lines', communicating with the audience through relatively mechanical movements of ancient ethnic dance.
Core Technique III
Tiaoxi performance is divided into wordless jumping (yamiao, plaza jumping) and stage jumping (shangtai tiao).
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Li Minsheng was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Heyangtiao Opera, with Heyang, Shaanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Heyangtiao Opera in Heyang, Shaanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Heyang, Shaanxi as its declared area, and Heyang County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
Heyang tiaoxi (jumping drama), also called tiao diao, diao diao xi, diao xi or luogu za xi (gong-and-drum miscellaneous drama), is an ancient local operatic genre transmitted along the Yellow River; it belongs to the shexi (village operatic society) category. It has no vocal styles in performance and uses no string instruments; only the large gong, large drum, nao cymbals and suona accompany it from the side, and the performers use 'speech' and 'chanting' to accomplish the tasks of 'singing' and 'spoken lines', communicating with the audience through relatively mechanical movements of ancient ethnic dance. Performance is divided into wordless jumping (yamiao, plaza jumping) and stage jumping (shangtai tiao); differences in the environment in which it developed, in folk customs and in the inheritors have produced different schools of performance.
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.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dangzhongxin | Heyang, Shaanxi | 03-1146 | Same declared area |
| Li Minsheng | Heyang, Shaanxi | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。