Liuqiang
01 · Historical Records
Liuqiang formed in the Dagu river basin west of Jimo city, Shandong, and spreads widely through the Shandong peninsula, with a history of more than two hundred years. It evolved from the folk narrative art “benzhu drum”; early on it had no musical notation and was sung with “liu qiang”, after which the homophone “liu” (willow) replaced “liu” (slip) and it was called “liuqiang”.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Liuqiang's musical system has forty-six qupai and thirty-three drum-and-gong patterns, its mother tunes “hua diao” and “bei diao” embodying the genre's distinctive singing style. It has a great body of performing plays, including more than a hundred and twenty traditional, more than eighty transplanted and more than forty modern; the traditional plays mostly present love between men and women and the partings and reunions of life, thereby advocating traditional ethics, among which the representative works are the “four great capitals” of Eastern Capital, Western Capital, Southern Capital and Northern Capital and the “eight records” of The Golden Hairpin Record, The Jade Cup Record, The Silk Orchid Record, The Fire Dragon Record, The Kite Record, The Key Record, The Silk Robe Record and The Embroidered Shoe Record. Liuqiang is fresh and plain, witty and vivid, warmly welcomed by the people of its areas and praised as the “flower of Jiaodong”.
Eastern Capital
One of the “four great capitals” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
Western Capital
One of the “four great capitals” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
Southern Capital
One of the “four great capitals” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
Northern Capital
One of the “four great capitals” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Golden Hairpin Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Jade Cup Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Silk Orchid Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Fire Dragon Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Kite Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Key Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Silk Robe Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
The Embroidered Shoe Record
One of the “eight records” of Liuqiang's traditional repertory.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Liuqiang centres on Jimo city, Shandong, and is popular in the Jiaodong area of Qingdao, Pingdu, Laixi and Jiaozhou; formed in the Dagu river basin west of Jimo and early sung with “liu qiang”, it took its name from the homophone “liu” (willow), and is praised as the “flower of Jiaodong”.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Liuqiang preserves forty-six qupai and thirty-three drum-and-gong patterns, its mother tunes “hua diao” and “bei diao” embodying the genre's distinctive singing style, making it an important sample for studying Jiaodong folk tunes and dialect; its traditional plays mostly present love and the partings and reunions of life, thereby advocating traditional ethics, and the locality sustains the genre through troupe performance and promotion in schools. The inheritor entered the Jimo Liuqiang troupe in 1976 and successively studied under such old Liuqiang artists as Liu Yonghua, Mao Xiumei and Zhang Xiuyun, specialising in huadan and qingyi, handsome and dignified in appearance with a gentle, bright voice, sweet and pleasant singing and solid basic skills; absorbing the essence of sister genres in articulation and recitation he changed Liuqiang's “staccato” and “clumsy” manner and, according to the plot, replaced the complex dan hair-pieces with the graceful Yue opera style, long working to popularise and promote Liuqiang and training a group of young Liuqiang actors.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yuan Ling 05-2449
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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