*Xiqin Opera

54.*Xiqin Opera

Nominating Unit: Haifeng County, City of Shanwei

Also known as Luantan Opera, Xiqin Opera is popular in Haifeng County, Lufeng, Chaoshan District of Guangdong Province, in southern Fujian Province and Taiwan. In the Ming Dynasty, the northwestern melody spread into Haifeng and Lufeng. Combined with the local folk art, it developed into Xiqin Opera in the early Qing Dynasty.

The singing tune for Xiqin Opera is the variation of Ban style in balance sentences. The tones include Zhengxian, Xipi, Erhuang and Xiaodiao. Zhengxian, the main tone of Xiqin Opera, involves Erfang, Pingban and Bangzi. The singing and monologue of Xiqin Opera are in the rhyme of Zhongzhou sounds. The actor sings in real voice, while the actress in falsetto. There are two kinds of bands for the opera, namely the Wenpan and Wupan. The instrument used in Wenpan includes Touxian, erxian, Sanxian, Yueqing, Suona and Haotou and in Wupan instruments such as drums and gongs are mainly used.

The acting style of Xiqin Opera is bold, wild, heroic and exciting. The military play in the opera is especially well performed. The military skills are derived from the Southern martial arts. The roles in Xiqin Opera involves Damian hang, Datou hang, Wangbian hang and Qijun hang. And Damian hang includes Hongmian, Wumian and Chou, etc; Datou hang includes Zhengdan, Huadan, Lanshan, Pojiao; Wangbian hang includes Laosheng, Wensheng, Wusheng and Wumo; Qijun hang includes Hongjun and Wujun. There are more than one thousand traditional plays in Xiqin Opera, including the four influential bow and horse plays of Gong keji, San guantang, Baozhu cuan and Selling horses, 36 Bentou plays such as fighting with Lifeng and Meet on the chessboard, as well as the 72 Tigang plays such as Beheading Zhengen, etc. Plays such as Huiyao, Ge nenniang, Qin Xianglian, the Orphan of Chao and Visiting Xihu are also well received in the audience.(https://www.daowen.com)

Xiqin Opera has preserved some artistic elements of Qingqiang. It is of great value for the study of the local operas in the Qing Dynasty. Now there is only one registered Xiqin Opera troupe in Haifeng County with 50-some performers. Traditional plays and the unique Datou, Percussion music, stage property are now endangered. The performers are also facing the danger of losing successors. It is in urgent need to take measures to save and protect Xiqin Opera.

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