What is "Zhong Zan"?

Tianqiao in Beijing is a bustling civilian market with a long history, well-known at home and abroad. During the reign of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty, the Tianqiao market took shape, and the Tianqiao market developed rapidly in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, with all kinds of acrobatics in it. In particular, performances such as Zhongfan and wrestling are the most popular among tourists. The banner is a kind of flag with different sizes. Zhongfan is a kind of flag with gorgeous decoration, which not only has ceremonial characteristics but also is used for competition strength. Zhongfan originated from the flagpole of the royal guard of honor and later evolved into a performance in a folk temple fair. Playing and dancing the traditional acrobatics in China are traditional folk acrobatics, and the performance of the traditional acrobatics in Beijing Tianqiao is the most famous. Zhongfan originated from the Jin Dynasty royal performance project, also known as Yuan H, which is a flag with ceremonial characteristics and used for competition strength. Playing Zhongping means that during marching or hunting breaks, flag-bearers wave and play flags to please the emperor and inspire the fighting spirit of the three armies. The banner is magnificent in shape and clear in title, and is often used for ceremonial activities. Flag-bearers can show their bravery and wisdom by playing with banners. Therefore, Zhongban was once a necessary item for walking activities such as the Buddha and celebrations in the Qing Dynasty. During the walk, all groups have their own flags, competing to practice and play tricks, and gradually forming a unique acrobatic program. Playing tricks on the faithful, Liu Dong and Yu Yizheng in Ming Dynasty have been recorded. The Qing Dynasty's "Baixi Zhuzhi Ci" records: "The banners are four or five feet high, and the bells are hung on them. Athletes dance them for generations, and the conductor is very satisfied, accompanied by golden drums, and the audience is like a wall." During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was even more beautiful to add an umbrella to the flagpole of the original dragon. Later, the big flagpole with an umbrella was used by the palace as a guard of honor to meet diplomatic envoys, which was even more majestic and solemn, so it was also called the big deacon. Every year in the palace, big deacons are played to celebrate important celebrations. During the Qianlong period, Zhongfan Club was under the jurisdiction of Zuoling, which was inlaid with yellow flags, and it was one of the eight internal stalls. It was sealed by the emperor and was very popular. Wang Xiaobian plays an important role in the development of Zhong Zan. At that time, there were performances by Zhong Yun all over the country, but the performance forms were different. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, Wang Xiaobian, an old artist of Tianqiao, learned this art from his brother who played deacon in the palace, and renamed the senior deacon "Zhong Zan", which became a busker's performance and was introduced to the people. Later, he took Bao Shanlin, "Bao San", as a disciple, and passed on a stunt to Bao San. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the children of the Eight Banners went to the Tianqiao market to make a living, among which Zhongfan and wrestling, which were performed by Shen San (Shen Yousan), Bao San (Bao Shanlin) and Zhang Gouzi (Zhang Wenshan), were the most popular, popular and popular projects in the field performance. In the 195s, Mr. Bao Shanlin was in charge of Tianqiao juggling, and the third generation descendants Chen Jinquan, Ma Guibao, Fu Shunlu, Xu Mao and others were involved in Tianqiao wrestling drills, which attracted a large number of professional and amateur masters from all over the country to learn skills. Due to historical reasons, during the 196s and 197s, the once-flourishing Tianqiao Market was cancelled, all kinds of cultural performances were banned, and the Baosan Wrestling Ground was also cancelled. After the reform and opening-up, Xuanwu District Cultural Committee, with the aim of promoting Xuannan culture, carried out a series of cultural activities to excavate, organize and protect Tianqiao folk customs. Under the guidance and support of the District Cultural Committee, Fu Wengang, the son of Mr. Fu Shunlu, established the "Beijing Fushi Tianqiao Baosan Folk Culture and Art Troupe", which has passed on a number of Tianqiao unique skills. After the founding of New China, Tianqiao Baosan Wrestling Ground, under the leadership of Mr. Bao Shanlin, exchanged skills with a large number of professional and amateur masters from all over the country. During the "Cultural Revolution", Baosan Wrestling Ground disappeared with the Tianqiao Market, which was in its heyday. After the reform and opening up, Fu Wengang, the son of the third generation successor, Mr. Fu Shunlu, established a private folk culture and art group-Beijing Fushi Tianqiao Baosan folk culture and art. Third, the artistic characteristics of the banners are divided into three categories according to the size: Shuo, Zhong and Xiao. Shuofan is generally heavier and taller, generally more than 12 meters; In general, it is about 9 meters long, and most performers choose it, so the name of playing it has spread. The small banners are only 3-4 meters long, and they are usually performed in small venues, such as theaters and teahouses. In the early days, there were the names of "building banners" and "carrying banners". In the middle of Qing Dynasty, Beihai Park had a performance of "carrying banners for skating" in winter. The trunk of Zhongfan is a bamboo pole with a length of three feet and three meters (more than 1 meters), and a long banner with a width of .5 meters and a length of 5.5 meters is hung on the top of the pole. The front of the banner is embroidered with blessing sentences and auspicious patterns, and sometimes the name of the performing group is embroidered on the back, so it is also called a flag. With a net weight of more than 3 kilograms, Zhongfan is thick at the bottom and thin at the top. It is made of two bamboo poles, and the size and flexibility of the bamboo poles are also exquisite. It takes about four years to process a tube of banners into finished products, and its manufacturing and processing procedures are still ancestral at present, and it refuses to be leaked. From the technical point of view, the Chinese complications include the manipulation (holding the clouds open and falling) and the leg manipulation (kicking and kneeling), which not only exercises people's courage, strength and skills, but also requires both civil and military skills. In addition, Chinese wrestling, qigong and other skills are also the basis for practicing the Chinese complications. Zhongfan is divided into single training, double training and group training, with more than 5 movements. Performers either put their shoulders on their foreheads or hold the tower with their arms outstretched, and their thrilling actions continue, but they never leave their bodies and their poles do not fall to the ground. Zhong Zan, which is more than ten meters high and weighs dozens of pounds, flutters up and down in the performer's hands, shoulders, forehead, chin and nape. During Zhong Zan's performance, the artists held the pole upright in their hands and danced many tricks, each with its own image name. Throw the pole up and catch it with the forehead to lift the tripod for the overlord, and support the ground with one leg and hold the bamboo pole with one hand for the independence of the golden rooster. In addition, there are other styles, such as the dragon raising its head, the tiger pouting its tail, sealing the seal, Su Qin carrying a sword, Taigong fishing and holding a column. There is also a layer or even several layers of circular ornaments composed of colored glaze, brocade, bell, flag and tassel on the top of the elegant Zhongfan pole, which is called the tassel treasure cover, which is not only colorful but also makes a pleasant sound. Zhongfan's performance requires stability, accuracy and speed, and hand-eye coordination is consistent. During the performance, the performer uses the palm of his hand, the back of his hand, shoulders, forehead, chin and other parts to lift, top, tooth sword, brain sword, single mountain and other actions respectively, constantly shaking, throwing up and falling. The performance of Zhongfan is based on throwing high and standing firm. Performers either put their shoulders on their foreheads or hold the tower with their arms outstretched, and their thrilling actions continue, but they never leave their bodies and their poles do not fall to the ground. Zhong Zan, which is more than ten meters high and weighs dozens of pounds, flutters up and down in the performer's hands, shoulders, forehead, chin and nape. During the performance, colorful silk banners fluttered in the wind, and the top of the banners tinkled. Nowadays, the middle of Tianqiao has developed into the hands of Fu Wengang, a fifth-generation successor, and has become a systematic performance project that combines adventure and spectacle, including seven sets of drills including head, shoulder, elbow, hand, cross, knee and foot, and nearly 1 routines. With the efforts of several generations, the banner in Tianqiao has become a representative project of folk culture in old Beijing with its exquisite skills and funny performances. Iv. Inheriting the Meaning The banners in the flyover are the traditional stunts of the old flyover. The performance form is that the performer touches a banner about 11 meters long with his hands or other parts of his body, and he never leaves his body and the pole does not land. Fu Wengang, 44, is the fourth generation descendant of this stunt, and he is also the founder and head of today's Beijing Fushi Tianqiao Baosan Folk Culture and Art Troupe. Although Fu Wengang has 2 students and 8 apprentices at present, he is still worried about the inheritance of the banner in the Tianqiao, because there are fewer and fewer people who are really talented and willing to inherit this skill. At present, the dance complications have gradually become unprofessional, and there is a shortage of professional artists. In addition, the acrobatic environment and performance form of Tianqiao have changed, and the skill of playing complications is still in an endangered state, which needs further protection. At present, Fu Wengang is still looking for successors. He intends to raise the new Zhongban, which is being made, to a height of 2.8 meters to welcome the 28 Olympic Games, and consider developing Zhongban by making cultural accessories of Zhongban. The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 2, 26, this heritage was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. On June 5, 27, the Ministry of Culture confirmed that Fu Wengang of Beijing was the representative inheritor of this cultural heritage project and was included in the list of 226 representative inheritors of the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage projects.