Tibetan Opera

01 · Historical Records

Kham Tibetan opera is called “Jianggarran” in Tibetan and is one of the four great schools of Tibetan opera; it formed in the tenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing (1653) and thereafter developed further in Batang, forming a distinctive style of Tibetan opera performance. Drawing on Tibetan opera historical materials, it formed in 1653 and, introduced from Tibet, was steadily perfected in Batang, gradually forming a distinctive performing style with a history of more than three hundred years.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

In performance there is simple make-up and usually a mask, special attention being paid to the facial designs of evil figures in myth and legend; the audience distinguishes the beauty and ugliness, good and evil of the characters by their differently coloured make-up, differently shaped masks and gestures. Besides the front-stage actors' singing, back-stage actors may also join in the chorus, usually accompanied by drum, cymbals and other percussion, with some plays using long horn, suona, flute and huqin as well. Batang Tibetan opera has a fairly rich repertory, including mainly Zhaxi Xiewa, Princess Wencheng, Zhimei Gengdeng, Langsha Wenbu, Langsha Guniang, Cheng Yun Zhi Wang, Qiushou Shijie, Zhuowa Sangmu, Luosang Wangzi and Dunyue Dengzhu.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Batang Tibetan opera is a school of Kham Tibetan opera with a history of more than three hundred years. Its performance is divided into stage and ground (bazi) forms, with the ground form predominant. A performance is generally divided into four parts: the prologue “Zhaxi Xiewa”, mainly wishing the festival auspiciousness; the opening “Enba”, mainly introducing the actors to the audience and announcing the play; the main content “Xiong”, performed in scenes by the plot, a play lasting as long as two days or as short as two or three hours; and the curtain call “Zhaxijiao”, in which all the actors receive the audience's donations amid song and dance while thanking them and wishing a good harvest in the coming year. It is a school of Kham Tibetan opera popular in Batang in western Sichuan and the neighbouring Tibetan areas; its performances are mainly ground (bazi) performances at temple fairs and festivals, sharing an origin with Tibetan opera in music, masks and conventions while possessing Kham character.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Batang Tibetan opera (Kham Tibetan opera, “Jianggarran” in Tibetan) is one of the four great schools of Tibetan opera, and its four-part performance structure together with its mask and facial-design system provides important examples for studying the differentiation of Tibetan opera schools and Kham culture; as a representative of Kham Tibetan opera it retains fairly complete local knowledge of mask-making, singing and the organisation of ground performance, making it an important case for studying the cross-regional spread of Tibetan opera; the Batang county cultural centre sustains the genre through festival ground performances and the training of monastic and lay artists.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Danda 02-0625
• Cidanduoji 02-0626
• Langjieciren 02-0627
• Ciduo 02-0628
• Ciren 02-0629
• Cirenwangdui 02-0630
• Nimaciren 02-0631
• Gamaciren 02-0632
• Baimei 02-0633
• Renqingjia 02-0634
• Duojietai 02-0635
• Ouluxueba 04-1658
• Lixianjia 04-1659
• Taluo 05-2391
• Cairanghuadan 05-2392
• Duodan
• Biandianwangjiu
• Luosangzhaxi

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Tibetan Opera (Batang, Sichuan) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗