Yangge Opera
01 · Historical Records
Yangge opera originated in the songs sung by peasants while they worked in the fields. It was later combined with folk dance, acrobatics, martial arts and other performance arts, and at the temple-fair (shehuo) celebrations of the first lunar month each year, programmes with story content were performed, so that a staged operatic form gradually took shape. After the bangzi-tune operatic genres flourished in the mid-Qing period, the Yangge operas of Shanxi, Hebei and Shaanxi borrowed and absorbed, to differing degrees, the repertoire, music and performance art of the local bangzi opera. They gradually developed into stage performance and evolved towards the large local operatic genres. Shuozhou Yangge, which in its early days was performed by yangge dance teams in public squares and on the streets, has a long history: it absorbed martial arts elements in the Song dynasty and added narrative story content in the late Qing period, and today it is active in folk life in two artistic forms, dance and opera. Shuozhou Yangge has long circulated locally and has evolved into different artistic forms, providing vivid material for the study of the development, transmission and transformation of China's folk arts.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Yangge operas in different places are mostly named after the region where they arose or became popular, such as Qitai Yangge of Qixian and Taigu in Shanxi, Shuoxian Yangge, Fanzhi Yangge and Xiangwu Yangge of Xiangyuan and Wuxiang in Shanxi, Dingxian Yangge, Longyao Yangge and Yuxian Yangge in Hebei, and Hancheng Yangge and northern Shaanxi Yangge in Shaanxi. Some of these yangge forms consist mainly of folk ditties, such as Qitai Yangge, Hancheng Yangge and northern Shaanxi Yangge; others combine folk-song combinations with metrical variation, such as Shuoxian Yangge, Fanzhi Yangge and Yuxian Yangge, whose principal vocal styles and metrical patterns largely derive from the bangzi tunes. Their metrical patterns include head-type (slow metre), second-type, third-type, transitional metre, free metre and 'rolling speech'; the folk ditties among them are collectively called 'xundiao', including [Siping xun], [Kuxiangsi xun], [Gaozi xun], [Xiasan xun], [Dieluo Jinqian xun] and [Tuimen xun]. They are sung to the accompaniment of banhu, dizi and sanxian, popularly called 'bangniuzi'. Yet others belong to the metrical-variation type, such as Dingxian Yangge and Longyao Yangge: their vocal styles and metrical patterns are divided into slow metre, second-type (two-six), fast metre, free metre and introductory metre, and the beat is marked with a ban drum or clapper. They mostly make no use of orchestral accompaniment but are accompanied by gongs and drums alone, hence they are also called 'ganban Yangge' (dry-plank Yangge). The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera falls into two categories, small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Yangge opera originally had only the 'three small schools' — xiaochou (little clown), xiaodan (little female) and xiaosheng (little male) — and on this basis later added the 'three great schools' of xusheng (bearded male), hualian (painted face) and qingyi (dignified female). Its music and vocal styles absorb the characteristics of the bangzi tunes, forming a system that accommodates both the tune-pattern form and the metrical form, and its performance too has been considerably enriched and improved. The form of Yangge opera is relatively flexible and free, and it is good at depicting real life. During the War of Resistance against Japan, Yan'an and the anti-Japanese base areas launched a new Yangge play movement that reformed the music, performance and costuming of Yangge opera and staged works such as Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland, Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write and Niu Yonggui Is Wounded, whose subjects were the participation of the masses in production, study and struggle against the enemy. The development of the new Yangge play movement not only created a new theatrical form — the new operatic form (xin geju) — but also pushed forward the renewal and development of Yangge opera and other folk small plays. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, and with support from the Party and the government, Yangge in various places developed to differing degrees, and Shuoxian Yangge, Fanzhi Yangge, Dingxian Yangge and Longyao Yangge all established professional troupes. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, and with support from the Party and the government, Yangge in various places developed to differing degrees; professional Yangge troupes were set up in such places as Fanzhi and Xiangyuan in Shanxi and Yuxian in Hebei, and after regularised training the performing level rose further. Since entering the new period, however, as a folk small-play genre Yangge opera has faced not only fierce competition from the major operatic genres but also pressure from modern popular song and dance. Performance activities have grown fewer and fewer, many Yangge genres are on the verge of disappearing, and urgent attention and support from all sectors of society are needed. Yangge centred on dance is called 'tiguzi Yangge', and is mainly performed at festival celebrations and in folk-custom events such as birthday congratulations, longevity celebrations, the welcoming of a son-in-law, and the fulfilling of a vow on invitation. A full troupe numbers 108 performers, though some number 30 or 50. Male performers are called 'tiguzi' and female performers 'lahua'; men and women perform in pairs. Performers usually dress as figures from Water Margin and Journey to the West, and the performance is rough and uninhibited. The performance procedure comprises a series of set routines: going from door to door to pay New Year greetings, performing in the square, entering the courtyard to offer congratulations, sitting as lantern official, pressing the street to ward off evil, burning incense to sacrifice to the wind, touring the lantern grounds, revolving the bonfire, and receiving the next stage's procession. Performances are divided into the main group, the small square and the street-crossing performance, each with its own form of performance. Yangge centred on acting is called 'dayangge' (great yangge). The vocal styles of dayangge gather up the folk ditties popular locally and borrow the vocal structures and melodies of other operatic genres, forming a distinctive 'composite' of metrical form and tune pattern. Its repertoire consists mainly of Daoist stories and folk tales.
Wang Xiao Leads the Mule
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Wang Xiao Leads the Mule is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Borrowing
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Borrowing is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Turning the Millstone
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Turning the Millstone is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Embroidering the Flower Lantern
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Embroidering the Flower Lantern is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Making the Little Jacket
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Making the Little Jacket is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Tianqi Temple
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Tianqi Temple is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Meeting at the Blue Bridge
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Meeting at the Blue Bridge is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms is one of the small plays, or shuashua xi, in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Meeting at the Flower Pavilion
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Meeting at the Flower Pavilion is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
The Nine Garments
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. The Nine Garments is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Reed Flowers
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Reed Flowers is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Sun and Moon Picture
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Sun and Moon Picture is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
The Legend of the White Snake
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. The Legend of the White Snake is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Old and Young Exchange Wives
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Old and Young Exchange Wives is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Balancing the Lamp on the Head
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Balancing the Lamp on the Head is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire, its title referring to the skill of holding a lamp aloft on the head.
The Mud Kiln
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. The Mud Kiln is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Black Jade Belt
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Black Jade Belt is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Meeting in the Reed Grove
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. Meeting in the Reed Grove is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
An'an Brings Rice
The traditional repertoire of Yangge opera divides into small plays and large plays. The small plays, popularly called 'shuashua xi', include Wang Xiao Leads the Mule, Borrowing, Turning the Millstone, Embroidering the Flower Lantern, Making the Little Jacket, Tianqi Temple, The Virtuous Young Sister-in-Law, Meeting at the Blue Bridge and Lü Mengzheng Goes Begging for Alms, among others; the large plays include Meeting at the Flower Pavilion, The Nine Garments, Reed Flowers, Sun and Moon Picture, The Legend of the White Snake, Old and Young Exchange Wives, Liang Shanbo Descends the Mountain, Li Da Creates a Scene in the Inn, Balancing the Lamp on the Head, The Mud Kiln, Black Jade Belt, Jiang Lang Divorces His Wife, Meeting in the Reed Grove and An'an Brings Rice, among others. An'an Brings Rice is one of the large plays in the Yangge opera repertoire.
Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland
During the War of Resistance against Japan, Yan'an and the anti-Japanese base areas launched a new Yangge play movement that reformed the music, performance and costuming of Yangge opera and staged works such as Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland, Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write and Niu Yonggui Is Wounded, whose subjects were the participation of the masses in production, study and struggle against the enemy. Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland is one of the new Yangge plays created in that movement, its subject being the participation of the masses in production.
Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write
During the War of Resistance against Japan, Yan'an and the anti-Japanese base areas launched a new Yangge play movement that reformed the music, performance and costuming of Yangge opera and staged works such as Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland, Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write and Niu Yonggui Is Wounded, whose subjects were the participation of the masses in production, study and struggle against the enemy. Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write is one of the new Yangge plays created in that movement, its subject being the participation of the masses in study.
Niu Yonggui Is Wounded
During the War of Resistance against Japan, Yan'an and the anti-Japanese base areas launched a new Yangge play movement that reformed the music, performance and costuming of Yangge opera and staged works such as Brother and Sister Reclaim Wasteland, Husband and Wife Learn to Read and Write and Niu Yonggui Is Wounded, whose subjects were the participation of the masses in production, study and struggle against the enemy. Niu Yonggui Is Wounded is one of the new Yangge plays created in that movement, its subject being the participation of the masses in struggle against the enemy.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Yangge opera is a form of folk theatre widely popular in northern China, distributed mainly in Shanxi, Hebei and Shaanxi, as well as Inner Mongolia, Shandong and other places. Shuozhou Yangge is a comprehensive folk art form that integrates martial arts, dance and opera; it is popular in Shuozhou City and in the surrounding parts of southern Inner Mongolia — Jining, Hohhot, Baotou and the Hetao area — and is also found in Zhangjiakou in Hebei and in the cities and counties of Shaanxi bordering Shanxi.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera · Yangge Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Owing to the impact of modern pluralistic culture and to the time-bound nature of its performances, Shuozhou Yangge, like other forms of folk traditional art, is gradually slipping towards a precarious condition, and rescue and protection cannot wait. Zhang Yuanye (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, of Han ethnicity, born in 1932, from Shuocheng, Shanxi. From 1953 to 1956 he was a qingyi (dignified female) actor with the Xinle Troupe; from 1956 to 1976 he was head of the Shuocheng District Dayangge Troupe; from 1976 to 1996 he was in charge of the Shuocheng District Yangge training class; and from 1996 to the present he has been honorary head of the Shuocheng District Dayangge Troupe. His performance is generous and open, delicate and lifelike, and he is skilled in special effects such as bleeding while hanged, having the face slashed by a knife and spitting fire from the mouth. His representative works include Yesu Huating (Night Lodging at the Flower Pavilion) and Minggong Duan (Judge Ming Passes Judgment). He is a representative inheritor of Yangge opera (Shuozhou Yangge opera) of the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items, and a national second-grade performer. Zhang Yuanye comes from a family of Yangge performers and is the fourth-generation inheritor of Shuocheng Yangge. Zhang Fu (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, of Han ethnicity, born in February 1951, from Shuoxian County, Shanxi Province. His stage appearance is handsome, his range of roles broad, his performance delicate and his acting solid, and he is also skilled in playing roles across gender types, showing particular ingenuity in the use of hair-flinging, water sleeves, false beards, pheasant feathers and handkerchief technique. His representative works include Niyao (The Mud Kiln), Xueshou Yin (Blood Handprint) and Kan Zhuangyuan (Watching the Manor). Over long practice he inherited the finest elements of his predecessors' art, while also absorbing, as occasion required, certain ditties and mountain songs to enrich the vocal styles and shape the characters, and making bold experiments in the use of instruments. He is a representative inheritor of Yangge opera (Shuozhou Yangge) of the third national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items. In 2005 a Shuozhou Yangge training school was founded once more, recruiting students from the general public, and entrusting the Datong City Culture and Arts School and the Yangge troupes with the directed training of Shuozhou Yangge opera performers.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Liu Qiaoju 02-0601
- Wu Niancheng 02-0602
- Zhang Zhanyuan 02-0603
- Zhang Yuanye 02-0604
- Zhang Fu 03-1060
- Zhang Runlai 03-1061
- Miao Gensheng 03-1062
- Bai Meiyun 03-1063
- Ren Senkui 03-1064
- Wu Yumei 04-1650
- Yang Shengxiang 04-1651
- Wang Zhilan 05-2381
- Sun Guiming 05-2382
- Li Yingying 05-2383
- Qu Dengmei
- Zhang Fenran
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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