Tongzhoubangzi
01 · Historical Records
Tongzhou bangzi is one of the ancient operatic genres of Shaanxi, originating in Dali, Shaanxi, anciently called “Tongzhou”, and also called “eastern-road Qin opera” or “old Qin opera”.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
It has a long history, and professional troupes had already appeared by the late Ming. Its singing music belongs to the banqiang system, its main ban styles including the “erliu ban”, “slow ban”, “erdao ban”, “liushui ban”, “dianban” and “gunban”, its singing divided into joyful and bitter tones according to melodic difference. Its accompanying band is divided into civil and martial sections: the civil section is led by the erguxian with the amber (yueqin), banhu, erhu, suona, sanxian, pipa, flute, guanzi, haidi and sheng besides; the martial section uses percussion, including the yazi, board drum, hall drum, bangzi, hand gong, cloud gong, great gong, naobo and jiaozi. Its roles are complete, with zhengdan, laodan, laosheng (xusheng), painted face and wusheng, each performing differently. It deeply influenced other Shaanxi genres and the other bangzi-family genres that arose later, playing a positive role in promoting their formation.
Huang Bi Gong
One of the classic traditional plays of Tongzhou bangzi, both civil and martial.
Breaking Ningguo
One of the classic traditional plays of Tongzhou bangzi, both civil and martial.
Rebelling at Five Passes
One of the classic traditional plays of Tongzhou bangzi, both civil and martial.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Tongzhou bangzi centres on Dali county, Shaanxi, and is popular in eastern Guanzhong in Weinan, Huaxian and Heyang and also in southern Shanxi and western Henan; because Tongzhou was anciently the land of the left Fengyi and its singing carries the fierce temper of the Qin region, it is ranked with the Xi'an line of Qin opera as “eastern-road Qin opera” and “old Qin opera”.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Tongzhou bangzi's traditional repertory reached more than a thousand volumes, some now lost and more than two hundred preserved in manuscript, mainly historical plays both civil and martial, including such classics as Huang Bi Gong, Breaking Ningguo and Rebelling at Five Passes. The inheritor, an arranger for Tongzhou bangzi, entered the Dali county troupe in 1986 and has since worked there, mastering the playing of the banhu, erhu, hard-string and yueqin; in 2009 the Tongzhou bangzi pieces The Wei River and Beheading His Son at the Camp Gate that he organised and rehearsed took part in the Weinan folk art showcase and the Weinan intangible-heritage showcase, and he has composed for many plays, the music for The Soul of Heroines winning the music design award of the Shaanxi “Yifa Cup” young actors' competition, and has zealously passed on his skill to young actors, training a group of Tongzhou bangzi music talents and players.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- He Mantang 05-2453
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。