Huang Xuejun

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Huang Xuejun, Male, Han, from Shou, Anhui, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Taige (Ⅹ-87). The tradition is documented in Shou, Anhui. Within the regional tradition and school record of Taige in Shou, Anhui: Taige (raised pavilions) originated in god-welcoming festival processions in the Central Plains, later spreading gradually to the southeast coast and the northwest, where it flourished for a time in the Qing dynasty; in the course of transmission it combined with local conditions and formed distinct characteristics. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, zhouge and taige spread from Shanxi and Henan into Shou County, Linquan and other places in Anhui, reaching their peak in the late Qing and early Republican period.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Huang Xuejun is anchored in the documented technical standards of Taige in Shou, Anhui. Within the documented technical tradition of Taige in Shou, Anhui: Taige, also known as taijiao (carried roles), taige (raised songs), gaotai (raised platforms), naoge, naoge (head pavilions) and gaozhuang (high costumes), is a folk parade performance form in traditional festival activities. In a taige performance, several children dress as characters from traditional opera and, following the plot, form striking tableaux fixed to the iron pillars and supports of a square pavilion, which bearers then carry forward. Traditional taige tableaux mostly draw on plays such as The Butterfly Lovers, Tianxian Pei (The Fairy Couple), Legend of the White Snake, Journey to the West, Zhaojun Goes to the Frontier, The Blue Bridge Rendezvous, The Yellow Crane Tower and The Fisherman's Revenge. The tableaux stand about 3 to 5 meters high; the pavilions range from three to five tiers, generally with one person on each tier, though some have four people on the bottom tier, five or six in the middle tiers and one on the top tier. In a taige parade, generally four pavilions are used, and at most six or even eight; each pavilion is carried forward by four or eight bearers. Taige fuses painting, opera, colored paper framing and paper sculpture into a single art form; its tableaux are elegant and its scenes spectacular, much loved by the broad masses, and it has flourished among the people for a long time without decline. Taige is a comprehensive form of folk literary and artistic activity; because the performance is carried by people, it is called “taige” (raised pavilion). It integrates modeling, colored paper framing, acrobatics and opera into one, full of poetic charm and picturesque feeling. Zhouge is a special form of taige, popular in Shou County and Linquan County in Anhui Province; it is named for the way performers use elbow strength and skill in the taige performance. On the xinzi (iron stands) of both zhouge and taige, different numbers of child performers give performances; the construction is ingenious and well concealed, the makeup and costumes are strongly narrative, and the performances are accompanied by gongs and drums and by sheng, xiao, di and guan wind instruments. However, the bases supporting the child performers differ: zhouge is balanced by one person overhead, the “small taige” is carried by two people, and the “large taige” is carried by many people, displaying the qualities of height, difficulty, thrill and beauty. Zhouge mostly performs traditional folk stories such as “The Lake Goddess Shakes the Four Continents”, “The Immortals Gather at Yangshi”, “Lying on Ice to Seek Carp”, “Abandoning Office to Seek His Mother” and “Gripping the Tiger to Save His Father”. Zhouge and taige lay equal stress on technique and difficulty; retained repertoire works include Liu Quan Presents the Melon, Sun Wukong Steals the Peach and The Fairy Scatters Flowers. At New Year festivals, traditional sacrifices and large communal celebrations in the places where they are popular, zhouge and taige are the most beloved performance forms. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The single-elbow lift": Named for the elbow power a bearer uses to hold the frame, it flourishes in Shouxian and Linquan of Anhui. "Small and great platforms": One man on the elbow, two carrying the small platform, many carrying the great one. "Traditional stories on the frame": It chiefly enacts old folk tales such as the goddess quelling four continents and the boy seeking his mother. "Retained pieces": Retained pieces, demanding both skill and difficulty, include Liu Quan Taking the Melon and the Fairy scattering Flowers.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Huang Xuejun was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Taige, with Shou, Anhui as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Taige in Shou, Anhui: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Shou, Anhui as its declared area, and Shou 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

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. Huangxuejun (Shou, Anhui) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Huangxuejun · China ICH Official Archive