Lantern show (Liangshan lantern show)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: dengxi (Liangshan dengxi)

Applicant: Liangping County, Chongqing

Project No.: 221

Project No.: Ⅳ - 77

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Chongqing

Type: new item

Applicant: Liangping County, Chongqing

Protection unit: cultural heritage protection center of Liangping District, Chongqing

Brief introduction to the lantern show (Liangshan lantern show)

Applicant: Liangping County, Chongqing

Dengxi is not only a folk drama with local characteristics in Chongqing and Sichuan, but also one of the important tunes of Sichuan Opera. Because its performances are mostly combined with Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Shehuo, Qingtan and other folk activities, it has the characteristics of more small plays, more happy plays and more farce. Generally, the plays with large scenes, complex plots and many characters are not performed.

Before liberation, Liangping County was also known as Liangshan County, so the local opera was called Liangshan lantern opera, which has been in use today. Liangshan lantern opera originated from the folk "playing lantern" and "Yangge opera". The dance of the former is combined with the rap performance of the latter. The mid Qing Dynasty was the heyday of the development of Liangshan lantern drama. Now, local people also call it "Baotou opera" (before liberation, female roles were played by men, commonly known as "Baotou"), "Duangong opera" or "fat tube tune".

The singing music of Liangshan lantern opera mainly includes the light string tune of fat tube, the divine tune of Tuge and the minor tune of slang, among which the light string tune of "Liangshan tune" is more unique. The performances of Liangshan lantern show are characterized by "hilarity" and "twisting and jumping". Its repertoire is quite rich, with a total number of more than 200 kinds. The most representative ones are "eat bran and cut hair", "send off Jingniang", "Xiangzi to spend his wife" and "invite Changnian". Most of these repertoires are adapted from folk opera or folk stories. The performance of the lantern show adopts dialect, and the lyrics are popular and natural, lively and full of life. In addition, because of its strong entertainment, exaggerated plot, prominent contradiction and playful humor, the actors often perform with exaggerated movements and dance characteristics, which are deeply loved by the local people. People can't do without lantern shows for festivals or weddings.

In the Ming Dynasty, northern Sichuan lantern drama began to be popular in Langzhong, Nanbu, Yilong, Shunqing and other places in Nanchong. Like other regions, it also experienced the development stage from lantern, hanging lantern, playing lantern, dancing lantern to lantern drama. The form of northern Sichuan lantern show is lively, and the content is mostly praising justice, whipping ugliness, and integrating education into entertainment. Its repertoire is generally based on comedy and farce, and the theme of drama and tragedy is mostly expressed in comedy. The performance of northern Sichuan lantern show is rough and simple, humorous and popular, singing and dancing, full of wit, simple and healthy lyrics, with strong local flavor. Because there are many small plays, comedies and farces, ugliness plays a special role in the performance of northern Sichuan lantern drama. The ugliness of lantern show can be divided into male ugliness and female ugliness. Male ugliness is also called Xiaohualian and sanhualian, while female ugliness is also called Caidan, Yaodan and laopo. Ugliness not only plays the role of villain, but also plays the role of positive person and middle person. More than half of them are ugly. Northern Sichuan lantern opera is developed from Huadeng song and dance, which includes folk minor, Qingyin, Shenge, Duangong tune, Shaanxi tune, Wuxia Buguan tune and so on. It has a positive tone singing system with plate type changes, and also has the singing combined with Qupai. For example, in the play "the tailor steals cloth", its singing is composed of Qupai such as taipingnian, jinniusi, yinniusi, selling flowers, dieduanqiao, shilidun and huabeigong. The combination of plate and Qupai can also be used in the same play. The main accompaniment instruments of northern Sichuan lantern opera are "fat tube" and huqin, which play with a deep and thick "buzz" sound, so they are also called "buzz tube". In addition, there are lanterns, gongs and drums, and then erhu, flute and other instruments are gradually added. In the performance of northern Sichuan lantern drama, folk dance lantern, puppet, shadow play and acrobatics are used to depict characters and plot.

At present, the performers of the professional lantern opera troupes are aging, and there are only a few old artists who can sing lantern opera, and a large number of oral plays are lost. In addition, the lantern play is accompanied by Yangqin, dizi, pipa, erhu and other folk music. Due to the loss of musicians, it has to make do with electroacoustic instruments and folk music. Influenced by popular culture, it is difficult for young people to accept the traditional and folk things. The inheritance of Lantern opera is becoming more and more serious. It is in danger of losing its heritage and needs urgent rescue and protection.

Chinese PinYin : Deng Xi Liang Shan Deng Xi