Tibetan Opera
01 · Historical Records
Horseback Tibetan opera was founded at Longen monastery in Gande county, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai; it circulated mainly within Golog and, from the early 1990s, gradually spread to the neighbouring Tibetan areas of Gannan, Ganzi, Aba and Yushu. This dramatic form originated at the horse races of the Golog tribes in the mid-seventeenth century, when, to better satisfy the audience's appreciation and present the plot more perfectly, horsemanship was suitably added to the performance, so that horseback Tibetan opera developed and flourished in the Golog region. Drawing on local materials, it originated at the tribal horse races of the mid-seventeenth century, and horsemanship was added to present the plot more fully, gradually becoming a distinctive form of Tibetan opera.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Horseback Tibetan opera is a unique genre created on the basis of Tibetan opera; it takes the grassland as its background and the horse's back as its stage, always re-enacting heroic stories on horseback. It fuses Tibetan classical literature, music, dance, art and horsemanship, re-presenting the historical scenes and plot of the play through narrative-singing, dance and lifelike horsemanship. To this day there are six horseback Tibetan opera troupes within Golog prefecture. Its performance on the grassland with the horse's back as its stage lets the plot unfold in real steppe space; it is mostly staged together with horse races and tribal festivals, the coordination of actors and horses being the genre's most distinctive mark.
The Geser Epic Repertory (Performed on Horseback)
Horseback Tibetan opera takes the Geser epic as its main subject, re-enacting on the steppe and on horseback the heroic stories of Geser and his generals, combining narrative-singing, dance and horsemanship.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Horseback Tibetan opera was founded at Longen monastery in Gande county, Golog prefecture, and circulates mainly within Golog, spreading from the early 1990s to the neighbouring Tibetan areas of Gannan, Ganzi, Aba and Yushu; the Golog prefecture cultural centre (Golog Prefecture Intangible Cultural Heritage Transmission and Protection Centre) is responsible for the project's protection.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera · Tibetan Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Horseback Tibetan opera preserves the folk religious culture of the Golog region together with Tibetan folk performing arts, handicrafts and sports competitions, and is a living historical source reflecting the nomadic life of the Golog Tibetans; it has irreplaceable importance for the study of sociology, folklore and Tibetan history, culture and religion. Cailang Huadan (as recorded in the official dossier of an associated inheritor): male, Tibetan, born in October 1972 in Jiuzhi county, Qinghai. In 2003 he became head of the A'rao monastery Tibetan opera troupe and has guided many Tibetan opera enthusiasts in learning the art, raised funds to buy costumes and props for the troupe and rescued much documentary material. In 2009 he was appointed a specially invited researcher of the Geser Research Centre of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai, and in 2014 was elected a standing council member of the Qinghai Geser Society and a council member of the Qinghai Tibetan Research Association. He is a representative inheritor of Tibetan opera (Qinghai horseback Tibetan opera) in the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects, and in 2010 the Qinghai Department of Culture and Press and Publication conferred on him the title of typical representative transmitter of traditional Tibetan opera (Qinghai horseback Tibetan opera).
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
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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