Folk social fire (Chaoyang social fire)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Folk Shehuo (Chaoyang Shehuo)

Applicant: Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province

Project No.: 502

Project No.: Ⅹ - 54

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Liaoning Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province

Protection unit: Chaoyang cultural tourism and Education Service Center

A brief introduction to folk social fire (Chaoyang social fire)

Applicant: Chaoyang County, Liaoning Province

Folk fire is a popular self entertainment activity during the Spring Festival, which originated from the ancient land worship and fire god worship. "She" is the God of land, "fire" is the ancestor of fire, is the legendary god of fire. In the history of agriculture based China, land was used for farming, fire for cooking food and heating, both of which are the material basis for people's survival and development. In ancient times, people believed that fire also had "spirit" according to primitive thinking, and worshipped it as a deity with special meaning, thus forming the concept of advocating fire. With the development of society and the improvement of people's cognitive ability, this kind of sacrificial ceremony gradually added the element of entertaining people, and finally formed a large-scale and complex folk entertainment activities.

According to the form of performance, Shehuo can be divided into modeling Shehuo and performing Shehuo. Among them, modeling Shehuo includes cloth Shehuo, back Shehuo, horse Shehuo, car Shehuo, core Shehuo, mountain Shehuo, mask Shehuo and other forms of line-up performance, which mainly shows the figure's modeling and craft; performing Shehuo includes platform Shehuo, stilt Shehuo and other forms, which mainly carries out fighting performance in the courtyard.

The theme of Shehuo is folklore and drama, which shows a story with one or a group of characters. A story is a turn of Shehuo. The characters should draw the face of Shehuo, wear the clothes of Shehuo and hold the torch of Shehuo. Generally speaking, Shehuo's performance is to explore horses in front, followed by Shehuo's flag team, fire blunderbuss team (artillery team), flag team, Shehuo team, and finally gongs and drums team. Reform and opening up has brought new vitality to the folk fire art. Under the new situation, the traditional fire art has been carried forward and become a popular folk cultural activity.

Chaoyang County is located in the west of Liaoning Province, where social fire activities have a long history and broad mass base. In the early years of Chaoyang, Shehuo was inextricably linked with Yangko activities in Shandong, Hebei, Henan and Shanxi. In the long-term practice of production and life, it gradually integrated with the local Hongshan culture to form Shehuo activities with unique artistic style.

During the Spring Festival, the social fire activities in Chaoyang County are all over the urban and rural areas, with various forms and vivid performances. For example, "Yellow River array" in North sijiazi Township, "back Pavilion" and "nine women boat" in Taizi Township, "night eight out" and "running Yellow River" in West Wujiazi Township, "cunqiao" in muchengzi Town, "big stilts" in 20 Jiazi town and jiajiadian farm have their own characteristics, which are loved by local people.