Wuanpingdiaolaozi
01 · Historical Records
Wuan luozi was originally called lianhua luo, and grew out of the “huachang” (flower-sung) style popular among the people of Wuan in the late Qing dynasty.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Wuan Pingdiao Luozi is the collective name for Wuan Pingdiao and Wuan luozi. Pingdiao and luozi are the two local operatic genres unique to Wuan City, Hebei Province; they are often staged together and are habitually referred to jointly as Wuan Pingdiao Luozi. Wuan Pingdiao Luozi circulates in Handan and Xingtai in southern Hebei Province, in Anyang and Xinxiang in northern Henan Province, and in Changzhi and other places in southeastern Shanxi Province. Wuan Pingdiao is popularly known as daxi (great opera). It arose about the late Ming and early Qing dynasties as the product of the combination of Henan Huai diao with the local folk music of Wuan. It belongs to the bangzi qiang system; its tunes are lingering and melodious, its melody fluent and its style distinctive, and it has such ban patterns as manban, erba ban, sanban, liushui ban and zaiban. In the early period the civil section was accompanied mainly by the erxian, zhaqin and banhu, and the erhu, zhonghu, suona and dizi were added later; besides the ordinary percussion instruments the martial section also has the large gong, large nao, large cymbals and war drum, collectively called the “four great fan” (sida shan). Pingdiao has a complete set of role types, among them hongsheng, xiaosheng, laosheng, peisheng, qingyi, xiaodan, caidan, laodan, dalian, erlian, sanhualian and zahualian, collectively called the “four beams and eight pillars” or the “four sheng, four dan and four painted faces”; the plays in which hongsheng, xiaosheng, dan and dalian carry the leading roles are the most numerous. The martial fighting of Pingdiao forms a style of its own, bold and unrestrained, with the fierce and dashing air of folk martial arts. The spoken delivery in performance is based on the Wuan vernacular, in some cases using the Wuan dialect entirely; the style is pure and unadorned, with a strong local flavour. Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang. The ban patterns of its singing are varied, including manban, gaoqiang, wazi, beiqiang and mizi as ban patterns and vocal colours. In the early period the accompanying instruments were only the luo, the ta and the drum; cymbals, small gongs, dizi, banhu, erhu and sheng were added one after another later. The melodies of Wuan luozi are beautiful, broad and sonorous, with a strong local flavour. Wuan luozi has a full complement of roles, divided chiefly into such lines as xiaodan, qingyi, xiaosheng, xiaochou and laosheng, but the division of labour is not very strict and some role types can often be performed by the same actor. Its performance does not excel in martial arts or in the conventional operatic routines; instead it blends folk dances such as yangge and dengxiao, together with everyday movements, into the play, singing as it acts and carrying song and dance together, expressing feeling within the narration, humorous and lively, free and uninhibited. Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice. Wuan Pingdiao Luozi has had a far-reaching influence, standing in a blood relationship with other vocal styles such as Ninghai Pingdiao, Tonghua Luozi, Shangdang Luozi and Neihuang Luozi.
Three Entries into the Tent
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Yao Gang's Campaign in the South
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Dongjialing
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Match at the Heavenly River
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Peach Blossom Nunnery
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Zhu Yanrong in Mourning
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Beheading of the King of Zhao
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Conquest of Hongzhou
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Counterattack on Jizhou
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Trial of Ma Rong
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
The Visit to Ji Chang
Pingdiao has more than two hundred traditional plays; the more influential ones include Three Entries into the Tent, Yao Gang's Campaign in the South, Dongjialing, The Match at the Heavenly River, Three Boardings of the Sedan Chair, The Peach Blossom Nunnery, Zhu Yanrong in Mourning, The Beheading of the King of Zhao, Sima Yi Viewing the Mountains, Jingde Carries the Whip on His Back, The Conquest of Hongzhou, The Chronicle of the Extraordinary Man, The Counterattack on Jizhou, The Trial of Ma Rong and The Visit to Ji Chang.
Borrowing a Flute
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Old and Young Exchange Their Wives
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Small New Year
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Pawning the Ring
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Meeting at the Blue Bridge
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
He Wenxiu
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Wang Xiao Drives the Cart
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Donkey Brawl
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Kneeling in the Flower Hall
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Brawl in the Study
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
Discipline in the Weaving Room
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Great Hanging
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
The Lamp on the Head
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
An'an Delivers Rice
Wuan luozi has more than one hundred and forty traditional plays; its representative works include Borrowing a Flute, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory, Old and Young Exchange Their Wives, The Small New Year, Pawning the Ring, The Meeting at the Blue Bridge, He Wenxiu, Wang Xiao Drives the Cart, The Donkey Brawl, Kneeling in the Flower Hall, The Brawl in the Study, Discipline in the Weaving Room, The Great Hanging, The Lamp on the Head and An'an Delivers Rice.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Its singing has the character of colloquial narrative singing and is closely integrated with the local dialect.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Its principal instruments, the erxian and the zhaqin, are found nowhere else in the country, so they are of high research value. Du Yinfang (per the official dossier of an associated inheritor): male, of the Han ethnic group, born in 1942, native of Wuan, Hebei Province. His voice is resonant and clear, his singing has a flavour of its own, and he can play every role type and every character except the dan roles; in both stage movement and vocal style he is without equal, and he enjoys wide influence among the people. His representative works include The Red Beacon of Xiongguan, Selling the Young Doctor, Lü Mengzheng Goes to the Refectory and The Record of Losing an Official Post. He is a representative inheritor of Wuan Pingdiao Luozi in the second batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, and a national second-class actor. Chen Huaishan (per the official dossier of an associated inheritor): male, of the Han ethnic group, born in 1957, native of Wuan, Hebei Province. Chen Huaishan has composed 28 works for Pingdiao opera and 36 works for luozi opera, and has written more than 800,000 characters of published writings. His representative works include the luozi opera The Rosy Sunset. He is a representative inheritor of Wuan Pingdiao Luozi in the second batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, and a national third-class composer.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Du Yinfang 02-0562
- Chen Huaishan 02-0563
- Wang Xinrong 05-2361
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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