Zaobang
01 · Historical Records
Drawing on the Shandong volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu and local Heze materials, Zaobang was originally called “bendi”, evolved from Shanxi Shangdang bangzi after it came to Heze under the influence of the local language; by the mid-Qing it was already current around Heze and Yuncheng and also in parts of Hebei, Henan and Shanxi, and after the 1950s professional troupes were formed in Yuncheng and Heze.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Heze lies in south-western Shandong, adjoining Jiangsu, Henan and Anhui, with a deep cultural deposit and a local opera much loved by audiences. Zaobang is popular mainly in Heze and Yuncheng in Shandong and in parts of Hebei, Henan and Shanxi. Its singing music belongs to the banqiang system with flowing tunes and strong expressiveness, rich in ban styles and qupai, both ringing and vehement and gentle and lively in singing. Its performance is rough and bold, matching the regional character of its areas and the audiences' taste; more than eighty traditional plays survive, mainly on historical subjects, mostly promoting traditional virtues and such themes as supporting the upright and eliminating the evil and respecting the old and cherishing the young, with strong appeal to watch. As an independent local genre, Zaobang's music, performance and repertory have a character of their own, holding a place in Chinese operatic culture.
The Butterfly Cup
A traditional play commonly staged by Zaobang, in which an inheritor played Hu Yulian.
The Pearl Tower
A traditional play commonly staged by Zaobang, in which an inheritor took a leading role.
Caixian Bridge
One of the representative plays of Zaobang.
Yalang Pass
One of the representative plays of Zaobang.
Xu Long Beheads His Son
A traditional play commonly staged by Zaobang, in which inheritors played Hai Rui, the fisherman and the fisher girl.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Zaobang takes Heze and Yuncheng in Shandong as its main area and reaches into parts of Hebei, Henan and Shanxi; originally “bendi”, it evolved from Shanxi Shangdang bangzi under the influence of local speech, and the professional troupes formed after the 1950s became its transmission bodies.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Zaobang is also an important part of the northern bangzi system and can provide important corroboration for the study of bangzi's evolution. The inheritors, national second-class actors, have worked in dan, xiaosheng and laosheng roles and shaped many stage images in such representative plays as The Butterfly Cup, The Pearl Tower, Caixian Bridge and Yalang Pass, participating in the Ministry of Culture's 1992 “Number One Troupe under Heaven” outstanding repertory showcase and winning performance awards, and teaching at the Heze art school from 2006 to train large numbers of talents for Zaobang's development.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Fang Linghe 03-1136
- Zhang Wenying 03-1137
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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