Luonanjingbanshu
01 · Historical Records
Since 1976, high-platform performance has appeared. Luonan jingban shu is a quyi storytelling form popular in southern Shaanxi, formed by the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty at the latest. The protecting unit is the Luonan County Theatre. Luonan lies on the southern foot of the eastern section of the Qinling range and serves as the northern gateway to the Shangluo area. Its villages are scattered across hills and tablelands, so storytelling became an important way for villagers to gather together and hear stories; in the singing form, singing predominates with spoken narration mixed in. In the past, performance was mostly a blind person's means of making a living: the artist held a sanxian and sang while accompanying himself, providing his own accompaniment with big gong, small gong, bronze cymbals, a foot-operated clapper and a grasshopper clapper board, so that one person alone constituted a whole show. Since 1976 high-platform performance has appeared, the seated singing form has gradually moved onto the stage, and the venues of performance have extended to the stages of mass gatherings and temple fairs. In recent years the local cultural departments and the Luonan County Theatre have carried out rescue-style protection through recording, the transcription of story texts and support for young artists.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The performance form is dominated by singing, with spoken narration mixed in. Usually one performer accompanies himself by playing the sanxian and by striking the big gong, small gong, bronze cymbals, foot-operated clapper and grasshopper clapper board. In the past Luonan jingban shu was mostly a blind person's means of making a living, and performances were given chiefly at sacrificial rites and entertainments such as prayers to the gods, prayers for rain, weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations and the first-month infant celebration. The subject matter of traditional Luonan jingban shu repertoire is rich and varied, covering myths and legends, historical romances, case legends of detection, loyal ministers and filial sons, and love between men and women, in lengths both long and short, and it is deeply loved by the masses.
Fiddle, gongs, cymbals and foot clappers
One performer bows a sanxian while striking a large and small gong, a cymbal and foot-operated clappers and grasshopper boards all at once.
Votive, rain-seeking and life-cycle occasions
The genre served votive rites, rain prayers, weddings, funerals, birthdays and first-month celebrations, its blind singers doubling as ritual entertainers.
The blind singer's seated narration
Blind singers once performed seated in halls and courtyards, fiddle in arm and whole show in one person, until the platform stage appeared after 1976.
A southern Shaanxi narrative formed by the Daoguang era
The form took shape in southern Shaanxi no later than the Daoguang reign, spreading from Luonan into neighbouring Shangzhou, Danfeng and Shanyang.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Luonan jingban shu is a quyi storytelling form popular in southern Shaanxi, formed by the Daoguang era of the Qing dynasty at the latest. Luonan jingban shu centres on Luonan County and also circulates in neighbouring counties and districts of southern Shaanxi such as Shangzhou, Danfeng and Shanyang, where the dialect and the storytelling melodic modes are broadly similar. Performances are usually given at sacrificial rites and entertainments such as prayers to the gods, prayers for rain, weddings, funerals, birthday celebrations and the first-month infant celebration; artists come when invited, and the repertoire is chosen by selecting the corresponding passages according to the reason the host gives and the time available. The subject matter of traditional repertoire is rich and varied, covering myths and legends, historical romances, case legends of detection, loyal ministers and filial sons, and love between men and women, in lengths both long and short, with both long works that can be narrated over many days and short passages fitted to the occasion. Since the end of the 20th century performers have dropped sharply and performances have shrunk, few old artists can still sing the complete long works, the tradition is endangered, and it urgently needs protection.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Yet since the end of the 20th century performers have dropped sharply, performances have shrunk, the tradition is endangered, and it urgently needs protection.
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。