Daoqing Opera
01 · Historical Records
Daoqing opera is a folk small theatre form popular in the Yellow River basin of China. It originated in the "jingyun" (scripture chanting) sung by Daoist priests in the Tang dynasty, and in the Song dynasty developed into the narrative-singing art known as daoqing guzici, in which sung passages alternate with spoken narration. In the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, the narrative-singing Daoqing current in northern Shanxi was transferred to the operatic stage and became a theatrical genre deeply loved by local audiences. After the 1980s, competition among the various art forms and entertainment media intensified and Daoqing opera was badly hit; amateur folk performances became ever rarer, professional troupes found survival difficult, and the genre urgently needed to be rescued and protected. By the middle of the Qing dynasty it had been mounted on the stage, telling its stories in the manner of spoken drama, with content broadly touching on social life. In the late Qing and the early Republic period professional troupes multiplied and famous performers emerged one after another; this was a period of vigorous growth and rapid development.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Around the time when northern Shanxi Daoqing was mounted on the operatic stage, Linxian Daoqing, current in western Shanxi, also went onto the stage; Hongtong Daoqing, current in southern Shanxi, was likewise brought to the stage twice, in the Xianfeng reign and in the Xuantong reign, but it did not survive. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Daoqing operas such as Hedong Daoqing, current in southern Shanxi, Zhoukou Daoqing of Zhoukou in Henan, and Languan opera of Shandong in turn developed into stage plays. The early repertoire of Daoqing mostly depicts the life of Daoists and propagates Daoist doctrine, among them Scripture Hall Meeting, Lin Ying in Two Acts and Tall Manor. The middle-period repertoire consists mostly of Daoist tales of the cultivation of virtue and exhortation to goodness, the representative plays being Wang Xiang Sleeping on the Ice, Guo Ju Burying His Son and Xiao Tao Grinding Ink. The repertoire of the middle and later periods tells stories reflecting folk life, the representative plays being Old and Young Exchanging Wives, Beating the Kitchen God, Balancing the Lamp and Beating the Knife. Daoqing opera in every locality has its own set of vocal tune patterns: northern Shanxi Daoqing has 【Shuahaier】, 【Xijiang Yue】, 【Langtaosha】 and others, while Linxian Daoqing has 【Qizi Diao】, 【Shizi Diao】, 【Zhongnan Diao】, 【Luotousha】, 【Yizhi Mei】, 【Taipingnian】, 【Yanzifei】 and others. In the civil section of Daoqing opera the accompanying instruments are the flute, four-string fiddle, large banhu and small banhu; in the martial section, apart from the yugu and jianban, the other instruments are the same as those used in bangzi opera. The roles fall into five lines: red (bearded male roles), black (painted-face roles), young male roles, female roles and clown roles. Performance puts the emphasis on the civil side rather than the martial, and its strength lies in singing. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, professional Daoqing troupes were established at Yingxian and Linxian in Shanxi, further perfecting and enhancing the singing art of Daoqing. Daoqing music reached the northern Shanxi area around the Jin dynasty and circulated widely among the folk in the form of narrative singing built on tune patterns, singing mainly Daoist stories and expounding Daoist doctrine. Its musical system is mainly that of linked tune patterns, while it also absorbs musical elements from northern bangzi opera. The well-known professional troupes include the Yangkuazi troupe and the Wuweizhou troupe, and the noted performers include Li Ai Geda, Shi Liu Shiba and others. The representative repertoire of northern Shanxi Daoqing consists mainly of religious stories and exhortation-to-goodness tales, such as Han Xiangzi Leaving Home in Full Sequence, Zhuang Zhou's Dream and Guo Ju Burying His Son, together with small plays of everyday life and imported works such as Old and Young Exchanging Wives and Picture of the Eight Righteous Ones. Its vocal styles and melodies are traditionally said to number seventy-two great tunes together with a number of minor tunes; thirteen suites comprising ninety-six pieces survive today, among them 【Dahongpao】 and 【Zhaoluopao】. Its accompanying instruments in the civil section include the flute and four-string fiddle, and in the martial section the yugu, jianban, single-skin drum, large gong and others. Performance emphasises the civil rather than the martial, and singing rather than stage action. All the parts were played by male actors; only after the founding of the People's Republic of China did female actors begin to appear on the stage.
Scripture Hall Meeting
The early repertoire of Daoqing mostly depicts the life of Daoists and propagates Daoist doctrine, among them Scripture Hall Meeting, Lin Ying in Two Acts and Tall Manor.
Lin Ying in Two Acts
The early repertoire of Daoqing mostly depicts the life of Daoists and propagates Daoist doctrine, among them Scripture Hall Meeting, Lin Ying in Two Acts and Tall Manor.
Tall Manor
The early repertoire of Daoqing mostly depicts the life of Daoists and propagates Daoist doctrine, among them Scripture Hall Meeting, Lin Ying in Two Acts and Tall Manor.
Wang Xiang Sleeping on the Ice
The middle-period repertoire consists mostly of Daoist tales of the cultivation of virtue and exhortation to goodness, the representative plays being Wang Xiang Sleeping on the Ice, Guo Ju Burying His Son and Xiao Tao Grinding Ink.
Xiao Tao Grinding Ink
The middle-period repertoire consists mostly of Daoist tales of the cultivation of virtue and exhortation to goodness, the representative plays being Wang Xiang Sleeping on the Ice, Guo Ju Burying His Son and Xiao Tao Grinding Ink.
Beating the Kitchen God
The repertoire of the middle and later periods tells stories reflecting folk life, the representative plays being Old and Young Exchanging Wives, Beating the Kitchen God, Balancing the Lamp and Beating the Knife.
Balancing the Lamp
The repertoire of the middle and later periods tells stories reflecting folk life, the representative plays being Old and Young Exchanging Wives, Beating the Kitchen God, Balancing the Lamp and Beating the Knife.
Beating the Knife
The repertoire of the middle and later periods tells stories reflecting folk life, the representative plays being Old and Young Exchanging Wives, Beating the Kitchen God, Balancing the Lamp and Beating the Knife.
Han Xiangzi Leaving Home in Full Sequence
The representative repertoire of northern Shanxi Daoqing consists mainly of religious stories and exhortation-to-goodness tales, such as Han Xiangzi Leaving Home in Full Sequence, Zhuang Zhou's Dream and Guo Ju Burying His Son, together with small plays of everyday life and imported works such as Old and Young Exchanging Wives and Picture of the Eight Righteous Ones.
Zhuang Zhou's Dream
The representative repertoire of northern Shanxi Daoqing consists mainly of religious stories and exhortation-to-goodness tales, such as Han Xiangzi Leaving Home in Full Sequence, Zhuang Zhou's Dream and Guo Ju Burying His Son, together with small plays of everyday life and imported works such as Old and Young Exchanging Wives and Picture of the Eight Righteous Ones.
Guo Ju Burying His Son
The middle-period repertoire consists mostly of Daoist tales of the cultivation of virtue and exhortation to goodness, the representative plays being Wang Xiang Sleeping on the Ice, Guo Ju Burying His Son and Xiao Tao Grinding Ink.
Old and Young Exchanging Wives
The repertoire of the middle and later periods tells stories reflecting folk life, the representative plays being Old and Young Exchanging Wives, Beating the Kitchen God, Balancing the Lamp and Beating the Knife.
Picture of the Eight Righteous Ones
The representative repertoire of northern Shanxi Daoqing consists mainly of religious stories and exhortation-to-goodness tales, such as Han Xiangzi Leaving Home in Full Sequence, Zhuang Zhou's Dream and Guo Ju Burying His Son, together with small plays of everyday life and imported works such as Old and Young Exchanging Wives and Picture of the Eight Righteous Ones.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Northern Shanxi Daoqing opera circulates in more than twenty counties of northern Shanxi as well as in southern Inner Mongolia, in eastern northern Shaanxi and in northwestern Hebei, and it divides into three artistic schools: Shenchi, Dai County and Yingxian.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera · Daoqing Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Northern Shanxi Daoqing is a microcosm of Daoqing in northern China and a living fossil for the study of folk religious music and drama, and it possesses high academic, artistic and historical value. At present only one troupe in Youyu County keeps northern Shanxi Daoqing going, and it struggles on with great difficulty; its survival and development face an extremely grave situation, and it is close to the point of extinction.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhang Ruifeng 02-0605
- Ren Linlin 02-0606
- Zhu Ximei 02-0607
- Huang Fenglan 04-1652
- Liu Haozhi 04-1653
- Wu Cuihua 05-2384
- Lei Tongxia 05-2385
- Bianxiao 05-2386
- Ji Xianglin
- Fan Yu
- Dou Fengxia
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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