*Zhengzi Opera

53.*Zhengzi Opera

Nominating Unit: Lufeng Municipality, City of Shanwei

Zhengzi Opera, originally called Zhengyin Opera and sung in Zhongzhou mandarin dialect, is a rare traditional opera with multiple tunes. at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, a branch of Nanxi spread into east Guangdong Province and later became Zhengzi Opera. It is prevalent mainly in Hailufeng District and later disseminated to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and southeast Asia.

There are over 2600 traditional plays of Zhengzi Opera, which could be divided into Wenxi(opera that played gently) and Wuxi (played with much Kungfu). Wenxi has the examples of Zhengziliuxibijinchaji in the seventh year of the Reign of Emperor Xuande in the Ming Dynasty, Caibojie in the years of the Reign of Emperor Jiajing, a set of intace transcrips in the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China as well as some record books of the 1950s. The “Four Comic Plays” Sanyuanji, Wuguiji, Manchuanghu and Yuehuayuan, the “Four Tragic Plays” Jingchaiji, Kuihuaji, Pipaji and Baituji as well as the “Four Gongma Plays” Zhongyilie, Qianliju, Tiegongyuan and Malingdao, a total of 12 plays are called Shierzhenbenxi (with every play finished at a time). While Wuxi are generally Liantaibenxi (with every play finished for several times, one or two sessions every time), such as Sanguo and Suitang.

The performance is grand and classic with simplicity, especially good at Liantaibenxi. The singing tunes of Wenxi preserves the old style, led by Zhengyinqu and Changpaizi and mixed with Luantan (strum) and Xiaodiao (canzonet). Zhengyinqu is led by Xiqin, accompanied by Daluo and drum, while Changpaizi is accompanied by flute, Da Suona and Xiao Suona. Many Qupai of Zhengyinqu directly inherites the singing tunes of Yiyangqiang and Qingyangguqiang while Gunchang is commonly used. There are over 100 Kunqiangqupai, some of which fully embodies the strict and complete type of organization of northern drama music. Wuxi is also known as Tigangxi, with no or few singing, but accompanied by wind and percussion instruments to heighten the atomosphere to a heated point. Such fabulous performance as Doukaoqi (shaking the small flags on the back), Doujirou (shaking the muscle), Dourankou (shaking the artifi cial whiskers), Paobuma and showing secret Kungfu from the south are staged to fully reveal various historical and military scenes. Traditionally Zhengzi Opera has 12 types of roles: hong mian, wu mian, bai mian, lao sheng, wu sheng (a fighting or military character), bai shan, zheng dan, hua dan (a vivacious young woman, a coquette) , shuai zhu, gong mo, Po and chou (the clown). Some roles should wear facial makeups, up to over 200 kinds, in the performance such as Maomian, Shuiguimu, Yingzui and Humu.(https://www.daowen.com)

Zhengzi Opera is the variant of the traditional Nanxi, providing convincing evidence for studying what effect the tune change and the local culture have on the traditional opera. Presently, faced with a subsistence crisis, Zhengzi Opera needs to be saved and protected.

Zhengzi Opera was elected into the list of the first batch of the state-level intangible cultural heritage in 2006.