Quzi Opera
01 · Historical Records
Zhang Hairun, a juren of Dachuandu, during his time at the Imperial Academy created a song-and-dance ditty in 1875, taking the plot of The Romance of the Western Chamber as a reference and basing it on the production, life, pastimes and customs of the people of central Gansu, especially along the banks of the Yellow River, naming it Xixiang Diao. Drawing on local opera annals and Baiyin district cultural materials, Xixiang Diao was created by the Dachuandu juren Zhang Hairun in the first year of the Guangxu reign (1875) while at the Imperial Academy, drawing on the plot of The Romance of the Western Chamber and fusing the production, life and customs of the two banks of the Yellow River in central Gansu to form a song-and-dance ditty, long circulating along the Yellow River in Baiyin and around.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Xixiang Diao ditty originated in Dachuandu, Shuichuan town, Baiyin district, Gansu, and flourished along the two banks of the Yellow River in Baiyin and surrounding areas. Its tunes number twenty-seven, broadly grouped into four types—narrative, joyful, sorrowful and humorous—often used in alternation in performance. The script of Xixiang Diao is rich in content, with such pieces as Yu Zhou, You Si, Zeng San and Jie Xiang, nearly thirty in all, borrowing myth and legend and using romantic means to express the people's aspirations, highlighting the plainness, honesty and goodness of the working people and the sincere love between men and women. Its twenty-seven tunes fall broadly into four types—narrative, joyful, sorrowful and humorous—often used in alternation; singers of any vocal range can take part, and the form is flexible, free of limits of time and place, combining narrative-song with song-and-dance in a folk manner.
Yu Zhou (The Fishing Boat)
One of the Xixiang Diao pieces, borrowing the plot of The Romance of the Western Chamber with romantic treatment.
You Si (Visiting the Temple)
One of the Xixiang Diao pieces.
Zeng San (Giving the Umbrella)
One of the Xixiang Diao pieces.
Jie Xiang (Borrowing the Chamber)
One of the Xixiang Diao pieces.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Anyone fond of singing, whatever their pitch, can perform, and the form is not limited by time or place but can be sung anywhere and at any time, much loved by the local people. The Xixiang Diao ditty originated in Dachuandu, Shuichuan town, Baiyin district, and flourished along the two banks of the Yellow River in Baiyin and around, being a branch of the folk quzi opera of central Gansu; its transmission is closely bound up with the Yellow River ferries, village temple fairs and the farming seasons.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera · Quzi Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Xixiang Diao was created at the highest seat of learning, the Imperial Academy, yet grew along the two banks of the Yellow River and took deep root among the people, possessing high historical and cultural-artistic value. Created at the Imperial Academy but rooted in the folk life of the Yellow River banks, it combines the refinement of literati creation with the interest of rustic life and has high historical and cultural value; relying on the cultural centre, the locality sustains this ditty through recording its tunes, organising troupe performances and school programmes.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Kang He 02-0600
- Xiao Dejin 03-1059
- Zhang Zhixue 05-2380
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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