Shaanxi Kuaiban
01 · Historical Records
It evolved from the rhymed jingle, originated in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi, and has had a certain influence in the northwest region. It was already circulating among the folk of Guanzhong during the Daoguang and Guangxu reigns of the Qing dynasty, and was also distributed in northern Shaanxi, southern Shaanxi and the northwest region. Shaanxi kuaiban evolved from the folk rhymed jingle and originated in the Guanzhong area of Shaanxi; by the Daoguang and Guangxu reigns of the Qing dynasty it was already circulating among the folk of Guanzhong, and was also distributed in northern Shaanxi, southern Shaanxi and the northwest region. Early performers commonly gave impromptu performances on the spot at temple fairs, markets, mule and horse markets and the doorways of teahouses, and were noted for improvising verses about people and events; after the founding of the People's Republic of China, kuaiban entered the stage and the radio with the art propaganda teams, and many new pieces appeared that publicized policy and commended model workers.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Shaanxi kuaiban is a form of narrative singing (quyi) performed to the accompaniment of clappers. Its language is mellow and full-bodied, its rhythm brisk and lively, it is highly musical, plain and easy to understand, and it carries a certain comic colouring and expressive power. Performance stresses the coordination of hand, eye, body, technique and step, moving on and off the stage and imitating a wide range of character images. It uses the siye wa, a four-piece clapper that marks the beat, as its accompanying instrument; combined with striking methods such as trembling, knocking, striking, scraping and smashing, it fuses narration and singing, accompaniment and acting into a single whole, and it is a perfect form of narrative singing. Its content displays the typical character of keeping pace with the times. Shaanxi kuaiban is an important genre of Shaanxi Province, with a long history and a deep popular foundation, and it is an important component of Shaanxi narrative singing. It records the historical events, local customs and social phenomena of each period, and is a mirror of social history; it is humorous and amusing, vivid in performance and rich in local colour, and it is a typical representative of folk narrative and singing art; it is simple and easy to perform, welcome to hear and to see, a good form of cultural entertainment, and an important channel for publicity and education, for promoting core socialist values and for building a harmonious society. Shaanxi kuaiban takes the Guanzhong dialect as its standard language and the seven-character line as its basic sentence pattern; lines may be long or short and the forms are varied, and the main types are solo kuaiban, two-person kuaiban, group kuaiban, kuaiban with gong and drum, and kuaiban play. Performance stresses the coordination of hand, eye, body, technique and step, moving on and off the stage and imitating a wide range of character images; the siye wa, a four-piece clapper that marks the beat, serves as the principal accompaniment and is combined with striking methods such as trembling, knocking, striking, scraping and smashing, fusing narration and singing, accompaniment and acting into one. Its language is mellow and full-bodied, its rhythm brisk and lively, it is highly musical, plain and easy to understand, and it carries a certain comic colouring and expressive power.
Four tiles and five strokes
Its four roof-tiles are shaken, knocked, tapped, scraped and struck, fusing speech, accompaniment and acting.
Performance formats
Forms range from solo, duet and group clapper work to drum-and-clapper and full clapper drama, in Guanzhong speech and seven-character lines.
Hand, eye, body, method, step
Performers observe the five stage requisites and jump in and out of characters, in a vigorous, musical and comic delivery.
Open-ground and market performance
Spreading through Shaanxi from the Daoguang and Guangxu reigns, it was first busked at temple fairs, markets and teahouse doors on improvised texts.
Four generations
Passed on by apprenticeship and word of mouth, its documented line runs four generations under the Shaanxi quyi association.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Shaanxi kuaiban takes the Guanzhong dialect as its standard language and the seven-character line as its basic sentence pattern; lines may be long or short and the forms are varied, and the main types are solo kuaiban, two-person kuaiban, group kuaiban, kuaiban with gong and drum, and kuaiban play.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Historically, Shaanxi kuaiban was transmitted mainly through masters taking on apprentices and through oral instruction and intuitive understanding, and the documented genealogy now has four generations. Shaanxi kuaiban was transmitted historically mainly through masters taking on apprentices and through oral instruction and intuitive understanding, and the documented genealogy now has four generations. It records the historical events, local customs and social phenomena of each period and is regarded as a mirror of social history; humorous and amusing, vivid in performance and rich in local colour, it is a typical representative of folk narrative and singing art. The Shaanxi Provincial Quyi Association is responsible for safeguarding the project, sustaining this genre by organizing kuaiban salons, competitions and visits to schools.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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