Daoqing Opera
01 · Historical Records
Yugu opera originated in Hujiaying village, Zhanhua county, Shandong, and has a history of more than two hundred and eighty years. In the first year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing (1723), when the village rebuilt its Daoist temple, Daoist priests were invited to perform narrative-singing. Drawing on the Shandong volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu, it has been transmitted for over two hundred and eighty years since arising in Hujiaying village; after a period of decline in the mid-twentieth century, Zhanhua district formed a professional troupe and systematically collated its repertory and music, allowing the genre to continue.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
It circulates mainly in Zhanhua and surrounding counties of Shandong and also in the coastal areas of Dongying in Shandong and Huanghua in Hebei. After learning its tunes the villagers gradually varied them, fusing the yugu (daoqing) drum, local song and dance, martial arts and fishermen's work songs while absorbing artistic elements of Yiyang qiang (gaoqiang) and other genres, developing the former yugu narrative-singing into a costumed stage performance. Its singing belongs to the ban-style variation form, its lyric structure marked by “three lines to a round”, its rhymes stressing a level-tone start and oblique-tone close, and its singing often featuring “opening, belly and locking” phrases, exactly as in Zhanhua folk song. Its roles are complete and it combines civil and martial, with distinctive features in acting, chorus and gong patterns. Its singing belongs to the ban-style variation form with a “three lines to a round” lyric structure, rhymes in level-tone start and oblique-tone close, and opening, belly and locking phrases; its roles are complete, civil and martial alike, with distinctive chorus and gong patterns.
Three Lines to a Round (Lyric Structure and Ban Form)
Yugu opera's lyrics take “three lines to a round” as their basic structure with level-tone start and oblique-tone close, the core feature of its ban-variation system.
Opening, Belly and Locking Phrases (Singing Conventions)
Its singing commonly uses the opening, belly and locking phrases, close to the forms of Zhanhua folk song and forming the genre's distinctive vocal character.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Zhanhua yugu opera is popular in Zhanhua and the surrounding counties of Shandong and also circulates in the coastal areas of Dongying and Huanghua; the various lines, differently influenced by fishermen's work songs and local song and dance, differ slightly in singing and chorus, together forming the yugu opera area along the Bohai coast.
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
Yugu opera preserves historical traces of Daoist culture, migrant culture and local Shandong culture, providing vivid evidence for the study of the development and evolution of traditional folk culture. Its ban patterns and singing forms are unique and of special research value for the transformation of operatic and religious music. Fusing the Daoist yugu drum, local song and dance, martial arts and fishermen's work songs, it has unique value for studying the transformation of operatic and religious music; the Zhanhua District Intangible Cultural Heritage Conservation and Transmission Centre (China Zhanhua Yugu Opera Troupe) is responsible for its protection and performance.
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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