Beilubangzi

01 · Historical Records

In the early Qing dynasty Puzhou bangzi moved northward and, after taking root in Xinzhou, gradually developed into Beilu bangzi.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Beilu bangzi is also called the "upper-road opera"; it is one of the four great bangzi of Shanxi and circulates chiefly in Datong, Shuozhou and Xinzhou in northern Shanxi and in parts of Inner Mongolia and Hebei. Its traditional repertoire consists chiefly of Wang Baochuan, Beating the Golden Branch, Suan Liang (Counting the Grain), Jinshui Qiao (The Golden Water Bridge), Ku Dian (Weeping in the Palace), Zhan Huangpao (Beheading at the Yellow Robe), Xueshou Yin (The Bloody Handprint), Zha Mei An (The Case of Beheading the Unfaithful Husband), Hudie Bei (The Butterfly Cup), Zhan Shi Wang (Beheading the Ten Kings), Fang Bai Pao (Visiting the Man in a White Robe), Huilong Ge (The Returning Dragon Pavilion), Jiu Jian Yi (The Nine-Piece Garment), Yang Bajie You Chun (Eighth Sister Yang's Spring Outing) and more than two hundred other plays. The vocal structure of Beilu bangzi belongs to the banqiang (metrical) system, and it is divided into such ban patterns as manban (slow beat), jiaban, erxing, duoban, liushuiban, sanxingban, daoban, gunbai, jieban and huaqiang (florid singing). The traditional accompanying instruments are divided into a civil section and a martial section. The civil section is made up of the banghu, erxian, sanxian, sixian, sheng, flute, suona and the like, while the martial section is made up of the ban drum, ma luo (horse gong), nao and cymbals, hand gong, bangzi, war drum, hall drum, chingling (twin bells), small pitch gong and the like. In the fast-developing modern society, however, Beilu bangzi has, like many local operatic genres, fallen behind the times, and the spectacle of thousands of people flocking to see it has gone never to return.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The vocal styles of Beilu bangzi are deeply influenced by Puzhou bangzi: they are high-pitched and impassioned, free and unrestrained, steady and bold, and at the same time they absorb local folk songs and ditties, producing self-contained styles of their own such as the "ke-ke tune". These carry a marked local flavour and fully express the simple, honest, forthright and generous character of the local working people.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Beilubangzi.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

In the study of the history of Chinese opera and of local culture, Beilu bangzi has irreplaceable value as historical material. A shortage of successors and a shrinking performance market have long troubled Beilu bangzi; this ancient genre is looking to the relevant authorities to rescue and protect it. Li Wanlin (official archival record of the associated inheritor): male, of Han ethnicity, born in 1938, a native of Xing County, Shanxi. Li Wanlin began to learn middle-route bangzi (zhonglu bangzi) at the age of fifteen and later changed over to Beilu bangzi, studying above all the vocal method of Jiao Shengyu; he afterwards absorbed the vocal characteristics of older-generation artists such as Feng Jinquan and created the distinctive "Wanlin tune". His performance lays stress on the unity of the sung text and the musical line, letting feeling lead the voice and the voice convey feeling, and so enriched the vocal art of Beilu bangzi. His representative works include Longting (The Dragon Pavilion), The Bloody Handprint and others. Representative inheritor of Beilu bangzi under the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects; first-class actor. As the leading figure of the second generation of Beilu bangzi, Li Wanlin trained a group of young actors including Yang Zhongyi. Zhai Xiao'an (official archival record of the associated inheritor): male, of Han ethnicity, born in 1943, a native of Dai County, Shanxi. Zhai Xiao'an entered the northern Shanxi art school at the age of thirteen, studying under veteran Beilu bangzi artists such as Li Dingguan and Gao Yugui, and at the same time learned performance skills from Puju and other genres; in 1960 he joined the Beilu bangzi Youth Troupe of Xinzhou City. His performance is graceful in its lines, generous in its manner and skilful in the use of special techniques. His representative works include The Fourth Son Visits His Mother, Kou Zheng Carries His Boots and others. Representative inheritor of Beilu bangzi under the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects; first-class actor.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Li Wanlin 02-0472
• Dixiaoan 02-0473
• Yang Zhongyi 03-0990
• Cheng Fengying 03-0991
• Zhang Caiping 04-1606

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Beilubangzi (Xinzhou, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Li Wanlin · National Representative Bearer Archive
3. Dixiaoan · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗