Hua Lantern Opera
01 · Historical Records
Huadeng opera is a principal local genre of Guizhou and Yunnan; it derives from folk lantern song-and-dance, developed into local opera in the late Qing and the early Republic, and in its diffusion formed a variety of different singing and performing styles under the influence of local dialects, folk ditties and customs. The most flourishing period of Yunnan huadeng was the 1950s and 1960s; at that time not only did many famous huadeng actors such as Shi Baofeng, Xiong Jiechen and Yuan Liuan emerge, but a group of plays renowned on the Yunnan operatic stage also appeared, among them Tan Ganmei, Nao Du, Liu Cheng Kan Cai and San Fang Qin.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
In performance huadeng artists never let go of fans and handkerchiefs; they combine singing with dancing, and singing with acting is very closely integrated. Among them Dushan huadeng has more than one hundred and forty performance plays, including eighty-five early outline (tiangang) plays such as Jin Ling Ji and Mang She Ji, twenty-seven adapted plays such as Zha Mei An, and twenty-seven newly created plays such as Qi Mei and She Lang. Yunnan huadeng at first performed huadeng short plays with a heavy song-and-dance component; later, under the influence of genres such as Dianju, plays with more intricate and complicated plots appeared, and at the same time tunes of other genres were absorbed and varied, extended and renewed, forming new huadeng tunes.
Jinling Ji (The Golden Bell Tale)
Among them Dushan huadeng has more than one hundred and forty performance plays, including eighty-five early outline (tiangang) plays such as Jin Ling Ji and Mang She Ji, twenty-seven adapted plays such as Zha Mei An, and twenty-seven newly created plays such as Qi Mei and She Lang.
Mangshe Ji (The Python Tale)
Among them Dushan huadeng has more than one hundred and forty performance plays, including eighty-five early outline (tiangang) plays such as Jin Ling Ji and Mang She Ji, twenty-seven adapted plays such as Zha Mei An, and twenty-seven newly created plays such as Qi Mei and She Lang.
Zha Mei An (The Case of Beheading the Unfaithful Husband)
Among them Dushan huadeng has more than one hundred and forty performance plays, including eighty-five early outline (tiangang) plays such as Jin Ling Ji and Mang She Ji, twenty-seven adapted plays such as Zha Mei An, and twenty-seven newly created plays such as Qi Mei and She Lang.
Qimei and She Lang (Seventh Sister and the Snake Bridegroom)
Among them Dushan huadeng has more than one hundred and forty performance plays, including eighty-five early outline (tiangang) plays such as Jin Ling Ji and Mang She Ji, twenty-seven adapted plays such as Zha Mei An, and twenty-seven newly created plays such as Qi Mei and She Lang.
Tan Ganmei (Visiting the God-Sister)
The most flourishing period of Yunnan huadeng was the 1950s and 1960s; at that time not only did many famous huadeng actors such as Shi Baofeng, Xiong Jiechen and Yuan Liuan emerge, but a group of plays renowned on the Yunnan operatic stage also appeared, among them Tan Ganmei, Nao Du, Liu Cheng Kan Cai and San Fang Qin.
Nao Du (The Boisterous Ferry)
The most flourishing period of Yunnan huadeng was the 1950s and 1960s; at that time not only did many famous huadeng actors such as Shi Baofeng, Xiong Jiechen and Yuan Liuan emerge, but a group of plays renowned on the Yunnan operatic stage also appeared, among them Tan Ganmei, Nao Du, Liu Cheng Kan Cai and San Fang Qin.
Liu Cheng Kan Cai (Liu Cheng Watches the Vegetables)
The most flourishing period of Yunnan huadeng was the 1950s and 1960s; at that time not only did many famous huadeng actors such as Shi Baofeng, Xiong Jiechen and Yuan Liuan emerge, but a group of plays renowned on the Yunnan operatic stage also appeared, among them Tan Ganmei, Nao Du, Liu Cheng Kan Cai and San Fang Qin.
San Fang Qin (Three Visits to Kin)
The most flourishing period of Yunnan huadeng was the 1950s and 1960s; at that time not only did many famous huadeng actors such as Shi Baofeng, Xiong Jiechen and Yuan Liuan emerge, but a group of plays renowned on the Yunnan operatic stage also appeared, among them Tan Ganmei, Nao Du, Liu Cheng Kan Cai and San Fang Qin.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Guizhou huadeng is found mainly in Dushan, Zunyi, Bijie, Anshun, Tongren and other places, and the names differ from place to place: in northern and western Guizhou it is called "dengjia xi" (lantern-lined opera), around Dushan "tai deng" (platform lantern), and in Sinan, Yinjiang and other places "gaotai xi" (high-platform opera) or "huadeng xi" (flower lantern opera). Yunnan huadeng has three main branches — Kunming huadeng, Yuxi huadeng and Yao'an huadeng — besides which there are extremely many minor branches, with Wenshan, Qujing, Chuxiong, Midu, Luoping, Yuanmou, Lufeng, Jianshui, Mengzi and other places each having their own huadeng.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera · Hua Lantern Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Chen Shenhua (official archive record of the associated inheritor): A man of the Han ethnicity, born in October 1954 in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province. From the age of seven or eight he began touring with the local lantern society, and at twelve he became a pupil of Puji Lan, the noted traditional huadeng artist of Yuanmou. At fifteen he was already able to perform many traditional huadeng plays, such as Zhang Guan Pays Birthday Honours and Tan Ganmei. After 1984 he concentrated on dan roles, formed his own performing features and established a style entirely of his own. He has thoroughly mastered the plays, tunes and tune patterns (qupai) of Yuanmou huadeng, can sing and play Yuanmou huadeng skilfully, and can preside over all the ceremonies of the lantern society. His singing is clear and correctly enunciated, with a rich and mellow flavour; in shaping character images and expressing the thoughts and feelings of his characters he is exquisite and subtle, and local huadeng enthusiasts call him "Puji Lan reincarnate". He is a representative inheritor of huadeng opera in the fifth national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items. Over the years he has taken on nearly one hundred disciples, most of whom have become the backbone of the Yuanmou County amateur literary and art performance troupe; in 2012 he was named one of the ten best local talents by the Yuanmou County People's Government.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Qin Zhifeng 02-0621
- Liu Fang 02-0622
- Li Hongyuan 02-0623
- Chen Keqin 02-0624
- Liu Shengyang 04-1657
- Shao Zhiqing 05-2389
- Chen Shenhua 05-2390
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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