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Shadow Puppetry

Ⅳ-91Traditional OperaHejian, HebeiBatch 2 (2008)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

The time of shadow puppetry's formation is not yet determined, but according to Meng Yuanlao's Dongjing Menghua Lu of the Southern Song it had matured and flourished by the Song at the latest, and among the shadow artists of the Bianliang pleasure quarters there were already nine men such as Dong Shiwu, Zhao Qi and Cao Baoyi. Through the Song, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties shadow puppetry, spread across the whole country, presented a flourishing scene in the Qing. Central-Hebei shadow puppetry was introduced early by migrants from the west, then called “Lanzhou shadow puppetry”, and was distributed mainly around Baoding, Cangzhou, Langfang and Shijiazhuang in Hebei. Central-Hebei shadow puppetry was introduced early by migrants from the west, then called “Lanzhou shadow puppetry”, and was distributed mainly around Baoding, Cangzhou, Langfang and Shijiazhuang in Hebei. Drawing on research into central-Hebei shadow puppetry, the Hejian line was at its most flourishing in the late Qing and early Republic, its troupes travelling to perform with temple fairs, New Year festivals and vow fulfilment, and long maintaining exchange with Beijing western-school shadow puppetry.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Shadow puppetry is an operatic form that cuts figures from hide or cardboard and tells stories by projecting the cut figures in lamplight. Its distribution is extremely wide, covering almost every province and region, and different local vocal styles have produced a great variety of shadow puppetry—Huaxian, Huayin laoqiang, Agong qiang and Xianban qiang shadow puppetry in Shaanxi; Huanxian daoqing shadow puppetry in Gansu; Xiaoyi wanwan qiang shadow puppetry in Shanxi; Tangshan and Jinan shadow puppetry in Hebei; Haining shadow puppetry in Zhejiang; Jianghan plain shadow puppetry in Hubei; Lufeng shadow puppetry in Guangdong; and Fuzhou and Lingyuan shadow puppetry in Liaoning. In the Wenshu hall of Yanshan temple, Fanshi, Shanxi, a Jin-dynasty mural “Picture of Shadow Play” vividly shows shadow performance in Shanxi at the time. Though there are many kinds, they differ mainly in vocal style and repertory, while figure-making and performance technique are broadly similar. Figures are generally made by scraping the hair and blood from oxhide, donkey hide or sheepskin, processing it to semi-transparency and then carving and colouring it, stressing fine knife-work and lifelike modelling. A figure is divided into head, body and four limbs, all in profile, the head with helmet or cap, the body and limbs dressed, baked and pressed flat over a firebrick after oil colouring. In performance the head is inserted into the body, the body joined to the limbs, and three bamboo rods fixed to the body and two hands for operation. Besides the characters, stage props, tables and chairs and scenery must be carved. The main prop is the screen, popularly “liangzi”, generally three feet high and five wide, at most four by six, with white paper as the backdrop for single-person operation, and next an oil lamp to project the figures and their movements. Hejian shadow puppetry is one of the important representatives of central-Hebei shadow puppetry, circulating in Hejian city, Hebei. In modelling it shows the features of western Chinese shadow puppetry, while in script, vocal style and performance it shares one lineage and origin with the Beijing western-school shadow puppetry. Its singing is called the “tiger tune”, with such tunes as “great sorrow tune”, “small sorrow tune” and “peace tune”, its style rough and unrestrained, mellow and plain, closely combined with the local dialect in performance. Its accompanying band is divided into civil and martial sections, the civil section using banhu, erhu, sheng and flute and the martial section ban drum, yin-yang clapper, gong and cymbals. In long performance practice Hejian shadow puppetry has formed such a rich orally transmitted repertory as Na Zhizhu, Hunyuan He and Wu Shu Nao Dongjing. Hejian shadow puppetry is one of the important representatives of central-Hebei shadow puppetry, circulating in Hejian city, Hebei. In modelling it shows the features of western Chinese shadow puppetry, while in script, vocal style and performance it shares one lineage and origin with the Beijing western-school shadow puppetry. Its singing is called the “tiger tune”, with such tunes as “great sorrow tune”, “small sorrow tune” and “peace tune”, its style rough and unrestrained, mellow and plain, closely combined with the local dialect in performance. Its accompanying band is divided into civil and martial sections, the civil section using banhu, erhu, sheng and flute and the martial section ban drum, yin-yang clapper, gong and cymbals. In long performance practice Hejian shadow puppetry has formed such a rich orally transmitted repertory as Na Zhizhu, Hunyuan He and Wu Shu Nao Dongjing. Its figures are carved from donkey hide with head and body well proportioned and colours mainly red, green and black; in performance one man at the front operates the figures and also sings, while the musicians behind divide the civil and martial sections, singing and recitation closely bound up with the local dialect to form the rough, unrestrained and mellow style of the “tiger tune”.

Na Zhizhu (Catching the Spider)

One of the orally transmitted repertory items formed by Hejian shadow puppetry in long performance practice.

Hunyuan He (The Primordial Box)

One of the orally transmitted repertory items of Hejian shadow puppetry.

Wu Shu Nao Dongjing (Five Rats Raid the Eastern Capital)

One of the orally transmitted repertory items of Hejian shadow puppetry.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Hejian shadow puppetry is an important representative of central-Hebei shadow puppetry; central-Hebei shadow puppetry was introduced early by migrants from the west, then called “Lanzhou shadow puppetry”, and was distributed mainly around Baoding, Cangzhou, Langfang and Shijiazhuang in Hebei, with the Hejian city cultural centre responsible for the project's protection. Hejian shadow puppetry is an important representative of central-Hebei shadow puppetry, circulating around Hejian city in Hebei, with the Hejian city cultural centre responsible for the project's protection and transmission.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present central-Hebei shadow puppetry has almost disappeared in Baoding and Langfang while surviving fairly completely in Hejian. As old artists die one after another, a great many of Hejian shadow puppetry's precious orally transmitted items are steadily disappearing, its prospects are worrying, and rescue and protection urgently need strengthening. At present central-Hebei shadow puppetry has almost disappeared in Baoding and Langfang while surviving fairly completely in Hejian. As old artists die one after another, a great many of Hejian shadow puppetry's precious orally transmitted items are steadily disappearing, its prospects are worrying, and rescue and protection urgently need strengthening; the Hejian city cultural centre sustains this folk art through recording and collation, troupe performance and opera-in-schools. It preserves a group of orally transmitted plays and the “tiger tune” singing system, making it an important sample for studying the relation between modelling, music and dialect in central-Hebei folk shadow puppetry.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

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

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

  1. Shadow Puppetry (Hejian, Hebei) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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