Chen Xiuzhi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Chen Xiuzhi, Female, Han, from Xingtai, Hebei, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Nanlusixian (Ⅳ-163). The tradition is documented in Xingtai, Hebei. Within the regional tradition and school record of Nanlusixian in Xingtai, Hebei: Sixian is an operatic genre unique to Hebei Province; because of regional differences it is divided into eastern, western, southern, northern and central sixian. Nanlu Sixian is one of the important local operatic genres of Hebei Province and of its neighbouring provinces. Rich in local character, it provides vivid material for the study of China's history, culture, folk customs and ways of life. Nanlu Sixian, which originated in Xingtai and Handan in southern Hebei and is popular in Hebei as well as Henan, Shanxi and Shandong, is the main branch of the sixian operatic school. Nanlu Sixian traces its origin to the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty, and is also called xianziqiang, xianqiang or xiansuoqiang. In 1965, Jueji (Catching the Chicken), created by the Xingtai County Sixian Theatre Troupe, took part in the joint theatrical exchange of the five provinces and municipalities of North China, and Premier Zhou Enlai attended the performance in person and praised it highly. In 1982 and 1986 the Pingxiang Sixian Theatre Troupe took part in the third and fourth Hebei Provincial Theatre Festivals, and Zaokang Qing (The Chaff and the Bran) and Huangshang Hen (The Imperial Widow's Sorrow) won first prize.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Chen Xiuzhi is anchored in the documented technical standards of Nanlusixian in Xingtai, Hebei. Within the documented technical tradition of Nanlusixian in Xingtai, Hebei: Xingtai City lies in southern Hebei Province at the heart of the Bohai Rim economic zone: to the west it borders Shanxi along the Taihang Mountains, to the east it faces Shandong along the Wei Canal, to the north it adjoins Shijiazhuang and Hengshui, and to the south it connects with Handan, making it the northern gateway of the Central Plains economic zone. For several hundred years, Nanlu Sixian has enjoyed great fame among the folk for its distinctive vocal art, its strong flavour of everyday life and its plain, readily understood grass-roots style. To this day dozens of folk troupes remain active in Hebei, Shanxi, Henan, Shandong and elsewhere, performing in the villages and lanes, so that it is a genre known in every household and welcomed everywhere locally. After several hundred years of continuity, change and development, Nanlu Sixian has formed a complete system of music and vocal styles together with a highly individualised performance style. Its repertoire is rich, giving equal weight to traditional plays and modern plays, and accommodating both civil drama and martial drama. Its vocal styles are distinctive, its metrical patterns complete and its tune patterns rich; the vocal system consists chiefly of a combination of the two registers yuediao and guandiao, using the real voice to articulate the words and the falsetto voice to carry the melody, the real and falsetto voices used together to mutual advantage — pleasant to hear and good to watch, and deeply loved by the broad masses of the people. Repertoire such as Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace) and Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State) of Nanlu Sixian in Ren County, and Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) and Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint) in Pingxiang, has remained perennially popular. Over the years, Nanlu Sixian troupes in various localities have created, performed, recorded and released a large number of plays. The script of Fang Kunshan (Visiting Kunshan), as adapted and performed by the Ren County Nanlu Sixian Theatre Troupe, has been permanently kept by the National Library of China. The newly composed historical play Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) by the Hongfu Sixian Theatre Troupe of Pingxiang County took part in the eleventh provincial theatre festival and won the Hebei Province Fine Arts Works Support Award. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace)": Repertoire such as Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace) and Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State) of Nanlu Sixian in Ren County, and Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) and Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint) in Pingxiang, has remained perennially popular. "Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State)": Repertoire such as Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace) and Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State) of Nanlu Sixian in Ren County, and Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) and Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint) in Pingxiang, has remained perennially popular. "Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County)": Repertoire such as Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace) and Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State) of Nanlu Sixian in Ren County, and Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) and Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint) in Pingxiang, has remained perennially popular. "Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint)": Repertoire such as Cao Cao Sha Gong (Cao Cao Slays in the Palace) and Zhong Bao Guo (Loyalty in Guarding the State) of Nanlu Sixian in Ren County, and Huangniu Xianling (The Magistrate of Huangniu County) and Hai Rui Gao Zhuang (Hai Rui Files a Complaint) in Pingxiang, has remained perennially popular.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Chen Xiuzhi was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Nanlusixian, with Xingtai, Hebei as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Nanlusixian in Xingtai, Hebei: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Xingtai, Hebei as its declared area, and Xingtai Mass Art 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

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. Chenxiuzhi (Xingtai, Hebei) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Chenxiuzhi · China ICH Official Archive