Daoqing Opera

01 · Historical Records

Daoqing opera is a folk small-scale operatic genre popular in China's Yellow River basin. It originated in the “jingyun” (scripture rhymes) sung by Daoist priests of the Tang dynasty, and developed in the Song dynasty into daoqing guzi ci, a quasi-dramatic storytelling form in which singing and recitation alternate. During the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, the narrative-singing daoqing circulated in northern Shanxi was brought onto the operatic stage, becoming an operatic genre deeply loved by local audiences. After the 1980s, competition among the various art forms and entertainment forms intensified and daoqing opera was badly hit: amateur folk performances grew fewer and fewer, professional troupes found it hard to survive, and the genre urgently needed rescue and protection. Longdong daoqing originated in the daoqing narrative singing of the Han dynasty, and in the Tang and Song periods it spread from the imperial court to the common people. In 1959 Longdong daoqing opera was brought onto the stage, and Feng Luo Chi (Maple Pool) went to Beijing to perform as a gift for the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Hailed as “a rare flower on Longshang”, it then toured more than a dozen large cities across the country and was warmly welcomed by audiences.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Around the time when northern Shanxi daoqing was mounting the operatic stage, Linxian daoqing, popular in western Shanxi, also came to the operatic stage, while Hongtong daoqing, popular in southern Shanxi, was twice brought onto the stage, once during the Xianfeng reign and again during the Xuantong reign, but was not carried on. After the founding of New China, daoqing genres such as Hedong daoqing, popular in southern Shanxi, Zhoukou daoqing of Zhoukou, Henan, and Lan Guan Xi (Blue Pass Play) of Shandong also developed in turn into stage plays. The early repertoire works of daoqing mostly reflect Daoist life and propagate Daoist teachings, such as Jing Tang Hui (Meeting in the Scripture Hall), Er Du Lin Ying (Lin Ying a Second Time) and Gao Lou Zhuang (High Manor). The repertoire works of the middle period are mostly stories of Daoist cultivation of virtue and exhortation to goodness; the representative ones include Wang Xiang Wo Bing (Wang Xiang Lying on the Ice), Guo Ju Mai Er (Guo Ju Burying His Son) and Xiao Tao Yan Mo (Xiao Tao Grinding Ink). The repertoire works of the middle and later periods are stories reflecting folk life; the representative ones include Lao Shao Huan Qi (Old and Young Exchanging Wives), Da Zao Jun (Beating the Kitchen God), Ding Deng (Balancing the Lamp) and Dao Dao (Fighting with Knives). Daoqing opera has its own vocal tune patterns in every locality: northern Shanxi daoqing has [Shua Hai Er] (Rogues' Ditty), [Xi Jiang Yue] (West River Moon) and [Lang Tao Sha] (Waves Washing Sand), while Linxian daoqing has [Qi Zi Diao] (Seven-Syllable Tune), [Shi Zi Diao] (Ten-Syllable Tune), [Zhong Nan Diao] (Zhongnan Tune), [Luo Tou Sha] (Gauze Headscarf), [Yi Zhi Mei] (A Sprig of Plum Blossom), [Tai Ping Nian] (Peaceful Year) and [Yan Zi Fei] (Swallow in Flight). The accompanying instruments in the wen chang (civil band) of daoqing opera are the flute, the sihu, the large banhu and the small banhu; in the wu chang (martial band), apart from the fish drum and the clappers, the other instruments are the same as those of bangzi opera. The role types are divided into hong (bearded male), hei (painted face), sheng, dan and chou, five lines in all; performance stresses singing over martial action and wins out through the art of singing. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, professional daoqing troupes were established in Ying County and Lin County, Shanxi, further perfecting and elevating the singing art of daoqing. Longju (Gansu opera) is a local operatic genre unique to Gansu Province; its original name was Longdong daoqing. The fish-drum daoqing rooted in Longdong gradually absorbed the nourishment of local folk music, added instruments such as the erguxian, and evolved into the singing music of shadow puppetry. After the folk shadow-puppet artist Xie Changchun of Huan County, a man living at the time of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty, reworked its vocal style, it spread widely in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi and the local area. During the War of Resistance Against Japan it became a component of the revolutionary culture of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region. Its vocal style is a combination of ban style, tune pattern and mahuang (a style so named after a certain hemp), divided into hua yin (flower tone) and shang yin (elegiac tone). The flower tone is bright and lively, pleasing to the ear; the elegiac tone is lyrical and tender, clear and ringing and subdued; mahuang is the most distinctive of all, with one singer leading and the whole company joining in, creating a lively atmosphere, and there is a saying that “every line has its reed, every two lines have their chorus”. Its characteristic instruments are the longhu, the suona, the fish drum and the water clappers; the performance incorporates the sideways body lines of shadow puppetry, and the stagecraft borrows the cut-out, colour-painting and decorative techniques of shadow puppets as well as the high chignon and swallow-tail headgear of the female role, forming a distinctive style.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Longju was originally called Longdong daoqing and is a local operatic genre unique to Gansu Province. The fish-drum daoqing rooted in Longdong gradually absorbed the nourishment of local folk music, added instruments such as the erguxian, and evolved into the singing music of shadow puppetry; after the folk shadow-puppet artist Xie Changchun of Huan County, a man living at the time of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing dynasty, reworked its vocal style, it spread widely in Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi and the local area, and during the War of Resistance Against Japan it again became a component of the revolutionary culture of the Shaan-Gan-Ning Border Region. In 1959 Longdong daoqing was brought onto the operatic stage, and Feng Luo Chi (Maple Pool) went to Beijing to perform as a gift for the tenth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, being hailed as “a rare flower on Longshang”; from that time on it radiated from the Gansu Long Theatre as centre throughout the province.

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

Under the powerful impact of modern culture, Longju too has fallen into a predicament on the verge of collapse and extinction: the number of performing troupes and performances has dropped sharply, the chain of transmission has almost been broken, and it is in danger of being supplanted by the great operatic genres and fashionable culture. Without attention and protection it will inevitably become more and more marginal and even face stagnation and disappearance. Lei Tongxia (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Han nationality, born in December 1966, native of Jingyuan County, Gansu Province. National first-class actress. She graduated from the Dingxi region drama school of Gansu Province and was assigned to the Dingxi region Qin opera troupe. In early 1996 she was transferred to the Gansu Longju troupe (now the Gansu Long Theatre), where she has worked ever since. She has systematically studied the various singing methods of the old tunes of Longdong daoqing and mastered performance formulae such as single- and double-fingered tear work, sideways swaying, sleeping swaying, yangge steps and the ziyouzi circular stage movement. She is well versed in traditional daoqing common knowledge and performance technique, while also absorbing and drawing on the performance art of Qinqiang; in long years of performance she has valued the creation of distinctions and their refinement. Her performance is plain and unaffected, and she is good at absorbing the artistic elements of sibling operatic genres to enrich her own performance. Since beginning to work in operatic performance she has won excellent results many times in regional, provincial and national drama performance competitions and evaluations, and is deeply loved by audiences. Representative inheritor of Nuo opera (Longju), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in the fifth batch. She won the sixteenth China Drama Plum Blossom Award in 1999. Bian Xiao (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han nationality, born in January 1971, native of Qingyang County, Gansu Province. National first-class actor. He worked in turn at the Qingyang County cultural troupe and the Wuwei region Qin opera troupe, and in 2001 was transferred to the Gansu Long Theatre. He inherited the vocal art of the sheng role in Longdong daoqing, combined it with his own voice and drew on the performance methods of Qinqiang and Peking opera, forming a singing method of “leaving resonance unlimited in the tone, letting the voice rise with a long-drawn flavour”; he has inherited and enriched the typical movements of Longju such as the silhouetted body lines and the sideways swaying. His performances of Jiu Hua Shan, Zhou Ren Presents His Sister-in-Law, Beheading the Son at the Camp Gate, The Love Song of the Official Goose and The Long Song of Xi Xia are deeply loved by audiences. Representative inheritor of Nuo opera (Longju), a national-level intangible cultural heritage project in the fifth batch. He won the twenty-first China Drama Plum Blossom Award in 2004. He has trained students including Tan Qiang, winner of the China Children's Theatre Plum Blossom Award and of the third Gansu Drama Red Plum Blossom Award.

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

1. Daoqing Opera (Gansu) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Lei Tongxia · National Representative Bearer Archive
3. Bianxiao · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗