Wu Opera
01 · Historical Records
Drawing on the Zhejiang volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu and local Jiangshan materials, Wu opera is popularly called “Jinhua opera”, named for Jinhua's ancient name Wuzhou; it was gradually fused from the high-pitched and Kun vocal styles that came into central Zhejiang in the mid-Ming and the luantan, Hui, tanhuang and shidiao that came in the early Qing, these co-existing and performing in the same troupes over a long period, while the Jiangshan area, standing at a three-province crossroads of Zhejiang, Fujian and Jiangxi, took the strengths of every troupe.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Jiangshan city Wu opera troupe is noted for mastery of both civil and martial parts; its artists fully command the four face-changing techniques of “natural change”, “wiping”, “blowing” and “pulling”, showing a character's inner world and emotional change through face-changing and thereby portraying character, a rarity in Wu opera performance.
Princess Shuangyang
One of the plays usually performed by Wu opera (Jiangshan).
Double Seals
One of the plays usually performed by Wu opera (Jiangshan).
Three Invitations to Lihua
One of the plays usually performed by Wu opera (Jiangshan).
Regretting the Marriage
One of the plays usually performed by Wu opera (Jiangshan).
Burning Zidu
One of the plays usually performed by Wu opera (Jiangshan).
The Four Face-Changing Techniques
Namely “natural change”, “wiping”, “blowing” and “pulling”, showing a character's inner world and emotional change through face-changing and portraying character.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Wu opera (Jiangshan) centres on Jiangshan city, Zhejiang, and is popular in Jiangshan, Changshan and Kaihua and the Zhejiang-Fujian-Jiangxi border area; standing at a three-province crossroads, its luantan, Hui and high-pitched repertory takes the strengths of the troupes of Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian, and it is noted for such feats as face-changing.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Wu Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Under the rapid development of the modern entertainment industry Wu opera's market has been greatly affected and steadily shrinks, the successive deaths of the old artists have caused a batch of plays to be lost, and the promotion of standard Chinese has estranged the younger generation from a genre performed in dialect; at present its transmission and development face heavy difficulties and a worrying prospect, and it urgently needies rescue and protection. The inheritor is skilled in such plays as Princess Shuangyang, Double Seals, Three Invitations to Lihua, Regretting the Marriage and Burning Zidu, fully commands the four face-changing techniques of “natural change”, “wiping”, “blowing” and “pulling”, portraying character through face-changing, and has transmitted the face-changing skill to Mao Xiangyang and others.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Ge Suyun 03-1116
- Zheng Lanxiang 03-1117
- Jiang Zhiqian 03-1118
- Zhang Jianmin 04-1681
- Chen Meilan 04-1682
- Xu Qinna 05-2439
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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