What operas are there in Malaysia?

As far as China folk customs and local operas are concerned, Malaysia is a very unique and interesting overseas country, and its Chinese population is second only to Singapore. In this special immigrant society, there have been early local operas from China.

Malaysian China Opera originated in China and is a symbol of China's cultural identity. For a long time, China's operas have been staged in Malaysia, following the secular convention of rural performances in China. In terms of social and cultural functions, the secular function of "entertaining people" in China's traditional operas has also been brought into play on the basis of its most important religious function. This special performance shows a carnival spirit, which is primitive, universal and irregular.

Chaozhou Opera was introduced to Malaya Peninsula 65,438+0,965,438+00 years ago, mainly due to the influx of people who moved to Malaysia to entertain themselves in the early days, and then gradually developed. This paper divides the development history of Chaozhou Opera in Malaysia into six stages according to the ups and downs of its performances, so as to objectively explore its growth trajectory abroad.

Every year in the Mid-Autumn Festival, there is Pudu Opera in Penang, Malaysia. With its long duration, many performances and large scale, it is the most representative opera in China and other Southeast Asian countries. On the basis of field investigation, this paper attempts to record in detail the Yuan Purdue ceremony and drama performances of Lixin Garden Mountain Border Area and Ruyiyuan Apartment, a typical Chinese community in Penang, and put forward the fact that their performance functions have changed abroad.

Among the traditional festivals in China, some are very interesting, such as Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. The Mid-Autumn Festival in Penang, Malaysia was transplanted from China, and its Purdue opera performance has a profound social and cultural foundation in China society. Purdue Opera is the choice, emphasis, inheritance and creation of China traditional culture. It not only organizes the public life of China society, but also, as a special folk ideology, provides the concept, belief demand, value and way of thinking of ethnic identity in China.

Malaysia provides a suitable context for the existence of Purdue Opera from China. It is an overseas country with the proportion of Chinese population second only to Singapore in the world. In this multi-ethnic country, Penang is the birthplace of Malaysian Chinese politics (edited by Chen Jianhong and Huang Xianqiang, 2005: 327). Penang, the capital of Penang, is an ancient cultural city with a long history of more than 200 years. On this small island with an area of only 293 square kilometers, due to various factors, since the19th century, immigrants from different dialects in China have gathered one after another, and early local operas from China have also spread. These operas mainly come from Fujian and Guangdong provinces. Local Chinese call it Fujian Opera and Guangfu Opera, including Gaojia Opera, Puxian Opera, Fujian Opera, Taiwanese Opera, Liyuan Opera, Western Fujian Han Opera, Cantonese Opera, Chaozhou Opera and Qiongju Opera.

Purdue Opera refers to the China Opera staged during Purdue Period in the Central Plains, which is one of the indispensable contents of festivals in the Central Plains. Purdue in the Central Plains is the climax of annual sacrificial activities in Chinese communities, and people in China often call Purdue in the Central Plains "ode to the orchid". Purdue in Penang is the most lively and typical Central Plains Festival in Malaysia. Purdue is divided into public schools and private schools. Private schools are generally organized by Chinese families, public schools are organized by Chinese neighborhoods, and worshippers are mainly face-burning masters (local Chinese call them "masters", "Duke Purdue" and "Ghost King"). Master Da Shi usually appears as a potbellied, staring, fire-breathing figure with teeth. It is the shape of King Kong and the ghost king, with a small Guanyin statue on his head (see figure 1). According to "Hokkekyo" records, Guanyin incarnates tens of billions of mercies, in order to educate all beings. Guanyin is now the ghost king who maintains order, educates hungry ghosts and educates all living beings.

Purdue Opera in Penang was staged every day during the Purdue Period in the middle Yuan Dynasty (the 1st to 30th day of the seventh lunar month). Its long duration, numerous performances and large scale are representative in China and Southeast Asian countries. Especially in the case of the decline of local traditional dramas in China, these Penang operas, squeezed by strong culture, have never lost their survival wisdom, and are growing tenaciously, retaining a relatively complete and pure drama culture tradition.

In Penang, Guangfu Opera and Fujian Opera are the most popular performances in Purdue, Central Plains. With the passage of time, the stage of Purdue Opera in Penang has gradually become the world of Guangfu Opera, especially Chaozhou Opera.

With fewer and fewer young people studying China traditional operas, I am worried that the essence of this culture may gradually disappear in Malaysia.