Guangdong Hanju Opera
01 · Historical Records
Han opera is one of the ancient operatic genres of China; Guangdong Han opera, originally called “waijiang opera”, entered eastern Guangdong in the Qianlong reign of the Qing and spread from Chaozhou as its centre to the neighbouring areas. Its artistic style differing from Hubei Han opera, it was named “Guangdong Han opera” in 1956 to show the distinction. In 1959 the Guangdong Han opera theatre was founded, its seat in Meizhou city in north-eastern Guangdong.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Guangdong Han opera's singing music includes such vocal styles as “erhuang”, “xipi” and “daban”, mainly the latter two, with Kun opera, folk ditties and a small amount of bangzi tunes besides. Its roles divide into the seven of sheng, dan, chou, gong, po, wujing and hongjing, each with clearly marked features in singing, and its stage language continues the “Zhongzhou rhymes” and standard Chinese, its performance rich in the conventions of singing, recitation, acting and combat. Its traditional repertory is abundant, about eight hundred pieces. With complete roles, colourful performing art and rich and beautiful musical singing, it is much loved by audiences and was praised by Premier Zhou Enlai as the “peony of the south”. This distinctive local genre is an important part of Hakka culture, of extremely important reference value for studying Hakka culture and the operatic art of the south.
Baili Xi Recognises His Wife
One of the traditional plays of Guangdong Han opera.
The King of Qi Seeks a General
One of the traditional plays of Guangdong Han opera.
The Lantern Case
One of the traditional plays of Guangdong Han opera and a house speciality of its sheng and dan roles.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Guangdong Han opera centres on Meizhou city, Guangdong (where the Guangdong Han opera theatre was founded in 1959), and is popular in eastern and northern Guangdong and the Hakka areas of western Fujian and southern Jiangxi, spreading with Hakka migration to South-East Asia; because it uses the Zhongzhou rhymes and standard Chinese as its stage language and sings in a pronunciation easily understood by audiences in Hakka-dialect areas, it is praised as the “peony of the south”.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The inheritor, a national first-class actor specialising in qingyi and huadan, has led in seventy plays, shaping many vivid and moving images on stage and being praised as Guangdong Han opera's “treasure of the house”; she has also taken part in directing more than ten plays and collated and designed the singing of more than twenty, several of her leading roles being made into films or stage television, enjoying high repute among Hakka at home and abroad, and has trained two dan actors, Li Xianhua and Yang Xiuhui, both now national first-class actors who have won the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Liang Suzhen 03-1143
- Zhang Guangwu
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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