Qiju Opera
01 · Historical Records
In the mid-Ming Yiyang qiang came to Qiyang and combined with local folk songs and ditties to form the embryo of Qi opera.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Qi opera, also called “Qiyang opera” and “Chunan opera”, is named for originating in Qiyang county, Hunan. In its development it formed the two schools of Yonghe and Baohe, both performing in Qiyang mandarin. Its singing embraces the high-pitched, Kun and tan vocal styles, its voice ringing and loud, accompanied by the high-pitched war drum, the cap-shaped dry drum and the hard-bow Qihu. Accordingly the xusheng uses a hoarse voice to show age, the xiaosheng a fine voice to show refinement, the dan a narrow voice to show charm, and the painted face a domineering or shouting voice to show roughness. Its facial designs usually take red, black and white as base colours, opening the face with mixed colour, expressing sharply characterised figures through bright tones, bold lines, delicate patterns and vivid suggestion. Its tan-vocal plays are rough and plain, broad in movement and stirring and deep in singing with a strong mountain flavour, while its high-pitched and Kun plays are fine, gentle and graceful with a cultured restraint. Its horse-riding dance convention, popularly called “ma lu”, is its most characteristic performing feature, each role changing the “ma lu” style according to character and plot so that it takes varied forms. Its repertory and qupai are rich, with more than nine hundred traditional plays and more than a thousand qupai now collated and printed.
Storming the Yan Mansion
One of the plays commonly staged by Hengyang Qi opera, in which the inheritor played Yan Wanyu.
Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier
One of the plays commonly staged by Hengyang Qi opera, in which the inheritor played Wang Zhaojun.
Ma Lu (The Horse-Riding Dance Convention)
Qi opera's horse-riding dance convention, its most characteristic performing feature.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Hengyang Qi opera centres on Hengyang city, Hunan, and is an important branch of the Yonghe school, popular in the Hengyang, Chenzhou and Yongzhou area; its troupes mostly perform at temple fairs and festivals, giving equal weight to high-pitched and tan-vocal plays, with the Hengyang city Qi opera troupe as the local professional body.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Qiju Opera · Qiju Opera.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The inheritor, a national first-class actor, entered the Hengyang city Qi opera troupe in 1978 and studied at the China Conservatory of Music; with sweet and smooth singing and language and movement of strong artistic appeal, his performing style is dignified, steady and fine, and he has led in more than forty Qi operas, his stage images deeply impressing audiences, such as Yan Wanyu in Storming the Yan Mansion and Wang Zhaojun in Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier. Invited to Hong Kong in 2011 for the China Opera Festival, he also lectured on Qi opera's high-pitched art, and has won the Wenhua new repertory award and the title of outstanding young actor of Hunan.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Liu Dengxiong 03-1142
- Zhang Shaojun 04-1690
- Yuan Qili 05-2458
- Fei Jianchu
- Shenguitao
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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