Daoqing Opera

01 · Historical Records

Shenchi daoqing derives from the Taoist temple music of the Tang dynasty; in the middle period of the Qing dynasty, under the influence of operatic art, it developed into a folk minor opera. During the Xianfeng reign period, Shenchi had more than twenty daoqing troupes; by 1932 this had grown to more than one hundred, and it spread step by step to the neighbouring counties of Wuzhai, Kelan, Ningwu, Daixian, Youyu and others.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Shenchi daoqing opera is one branch of China's suqu daoqing, and a representative form of dramatic art in Xinzhou City. The music of Shenchi daoqing falls into three main parts: vocal styles, tune patterns and gong-and-drum scores. Its rich body of vocal music not only inherits the ancient traditional daoqing and the folk art of daoqing narrative singing, but also absorbs certain musical elements from folk songs and local minor operas. Shenchi daoqing opera has more than one hundred traditional plays. Early plays include The Biography of Xiangzi, The Biography of Zhang Liang and The Biography of Zhuang Zhou; middle-period plays include The Biography of Cuilian, Wang Xiang Sleeping on Ice and Guo Ju Burying His Son; plays of the middle and later period include Three Sages, Four Admonitions and Breaking the Earthen Jar; recent plays include Drunken at Chenqiao, Beheading the Yellow Robe and Judge Ming Decides.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Shenchi daoqing opera is one branch of suqu daoqing, taking Shenchi County of Shanxi Province as its place of origin and spreading step by step to the neighbouring counties of Wuzhai, Kelan, Ningwu, Daixian and Youyu; it is a representative form of dramatic art in Xinzhou City. During the Xianfeng reign period Shenchi had more than twenty daoqing troupes, which by 1932 had grown to more than one hundred, showing how flourishing these troupes were. The music of Shenchi daoqing falls into three main parts, vocal styles, tune patterns and gong-and-drum scores; it both inherits the ancient traditional daoqing and the folk art of daoqing narrative singing and absorbs certain musical elements from folk songs and local minor operas.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Shenchi daoqing opera has a long history, beautiful vocal styles, rich content and marked characteristics, but in recent years, under the impact of plural cultural influences, the Shenchi County daoqing troupe has performed fewer and fewer times, the art of Shenchi daoqing is in difficulty, and it urgently needs protection. Huang Fenglan (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Han nationality, born in June 1957, native of Shenchi County, Shanxi Province. In 1985 she formally became a disciple of Jinju opera performing artist Tian Guilan and studied the techniques of the dan role comprehensively. Her basic skills are solid and her appearance is fine-featured; in her handling of breath and force she follows the daoqing singing norm of "heavy on the words, light on the tune", which keeps the pronunciation clear and the vocal style full and rounded. At the same time, by using the altered gong tone and the "run" tone lowered by one degree, she created a new daoqing "duoshizi" vocal style that "substitutes an altered tone for the adjacent correct tone of the five tones". Representative plays include Yuchan's Tears, Ying Tai Resisting the Marriage, The Forced Marriage, The Yang Family Women Generals and Touring West Lake. Representative inheritor of the daoqing opera (Shenchi daoqing) item of the fourth national-level intangible cultural heritage list. She is devoted to training successors in the art of daoqing, has taught more than one hundred students, and has brought Shenchi daoqing opera into schools. Wu Cuihua (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Female, Han nationality, born in March 1946, native of Shenchi County, Shanxi Province. Her vocal style is pure and true and her voice carries forcefully; her performance style is plain and generous, and she is skilled in every kind of handwork — the needle-and-thread banner technique, sleeve-flinging, fan work, sickle work, scarf work and the rest — so that she is dearly loved by the audience. Representative plays include Four Admonitions, The Opening of the Casket, Killing in the Tower, Sitting in the Tower, The Flower Hall, The Sheep Pen and Jade Hall in Spring. After retirement she still insists on taking apprentices and teaching the art, helping the troupe restore traditional plays and create new ones; at the same time she organises a senior citizens' cultural troupe to transmit the skills of daoqing opera and to give public performance showcases. Representative inheritor of the daoqing opera (Shenchi daoqing) item of the fifth national-level intangible cultural heritage list. Since transferring to teach at the Shenchi arts school she has trained dozens of students, most of whom have now become leading performers in the troupe.

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 (Shenchi, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Huang Fenglan · National Representative Bearer Archive
3. Wu Cuihua · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗