A Brief History of Huai Bang's Opera

Huai Bang is an ancient and rare local opera of Han nationality in Henan. It originated from Huaiqing House in Ming Dynasty, so it is called Huai Bang, also known as Huaiqing Bangzi and Old Huai Bang. Huai Bang began in the late Ming Dynasty, took shape in the Qing Dynasty, and matured from the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, with a history of more than 300 years. It belongs to a rare opera in the Bangzi opera system and has been circulating among the people for a long time. Its repertoire, aria, chanting and music all have a strong local color. Huai Bang is a unique local opera with enthusiastic singing and bold performance, and has its own unique style in singing and performance. His singing is impassioned, his performance is rough and unrestrained, and he is good at performing dynasty plays. Most of the plays are twins, Shuang Dan and two-faced people. Deeply loved by people in northwest Henan and south Shanxi, it is mainly popular in Guhuaiqing area. Because Huai Bang is a Bangzi opera, you should beat the rhythm with jujube when singing. The lyrics are mostly seven-character sentences, and the cross sentences have both long sentences and short sentences, which correspond up and down, rhyme and rhyme, and the structure is basically regular. There are more than 300 traditional dramas in Huai Bang, and nearly 100 modern fashion dramas have been staged. Representative plays include: Anti-Xuzhou, Lei Zhenhai's Expedition to the North, Rebecca's Sweeping the North, Anti-Xijing, Fairy Music, Ancient Huaian, Drunkenness, Aging, Red Pearl Girl, Driving Qin San, Yuanmen Chop Zi and Peach Blossom Temple. Modern operas include: The Wedding of Little Black Boys, Liu Hulan, Red Guards of Honghu Lake, Niujiawan, Shajiabang, The Red Lantern, etc.

According to relevant historical records, the development of this kind of drama was unstoppable in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.

There used to be a saying that "all five houses exist", that is, Zhangdefu (Anyang City), Weihui House (Jixian City), Huaiqing House (Jiaozuo City, Qinyang City), Daming House and Shunde House (Xingtai City) also included Guangping House. Baoding, Shijiazhuang, Yangquan and Changzhi in the north, Xin 'an, Mianchi and Yuanqu counties in the west, Fengqiu, Changyuan and Yanjin counties in the east and Xuchang and Yuzhou cities in the south. Huai Bang is still singing in Zanhuang County of Shijiazhuang and Xin 'an County of Luoyang.

Huai Bang is a local opera popular in Guhuai Qing Palace and its surrounding areas in northwest Henan. When and how Huai Bang came into being has not found a reliable basis. However, it is generally said that Huai Bang has a history of more than 300 years, which is gradually evolved from the dramas "Shehuo" and "Poseidon", and is also called Old Huai Bang.

Huaiqing Prefecture is located at the junction of Henan and Shanxi, with superior natural conditions and rich resources, and businessmen and scholars from all walks of life are active.

According to Qu Zhi of the Old Tang Dynasty and Jiao Fangzhi of Cui in the Tang Dynasty, the musical "Dancing Niang" appeared in Hanoi County at the end of Sui Dynasty should be the embryonic form, which is one of the earliest embryonic forms of drama performance in the history of China drama development.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong appointed Wei Wei, the founder of Taoist Shangqing School, and sent an imperial envoy to Hebei to let Weichi Gong supervise the construction of the palace of Yangluo Mountain (a branch of Shennong Mountain). Since then, more than ten days of sacrificial activities have been held every year since March 3, and folk songs and dances from all over the country have also come to perform and even become temple fairs, which have lasted for a long time.

During the Tang and Song Dynasties, the construction and expansion of Purple Virtual Goddess Palace (elite hall) and the endless ritual activities brought about by it provided an opportunity for the rise and development of Huai Bang, which effectively promoted the development of Jiaozuo's song and dance and the formation of early Huai Bang.

During the period of Jin Tiande (1149-1153), stories of "social fire" such as "bamboo horse", "dry boat" and "dragon lantern" were very popular in Huaiqing House, and the tunes were "flower arrangement", "flower picking blue" and "dragon lantern". The story of "Shehuo", zaqu and later "Poseidon Drama" laid a certain foundation for the formation of Huai Bang.

Poseidon drama is a popular name in Huai Bang, which has become increasingly mature since the Yuan Dynasty. At first, Poseidon's operas generally referred to official sacrifices, folk prayers for rain and hundreds of songs and dances performed at temple fairs.

Zhu Zaiyu, a sage in the Ming Dynasty, absorbed the essence of folk music, and expounded the twelve equal laws in a scientific way, which further promoted the development of folk music art. At that time, the popular Organ Class and Golden Drum Society were composed and created by Zhu Zaiyu. Later, folk artists gradually put the folk songs and legends in this area on the stage of opera, and were influenced by Yiyang, Kunshan, Luantan and Bangzi. In the long-term artistic practice, they constantly reformed and innovated, and gradually formed the Bangzi opera-Huai Bang.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the performance activities organized by the rising merchants of Huai and Qing promoted four kinds of Huai medicines, fabrics and silks, expanded the market, and constantly promoted the development and maturity of Huai. With the firm pace of Huaiqing business group, Huai Bang gradually moved to Hubei, Hebei, Shaanxi, Shaanxi and other vast areas, and even set foot in Beijing, Northeast China, Guangdong and other places, and became famous for a time, with the reputation of "Huai Bang as the five capitals". So far, Huai Bang has gradually developed into a unique local drama, which is deeply loved and recognized by people all over the country.

After the founding of New China, Huai Bang Amateur Troupe mushroomed in Guhuaiqing area. In Wuzhi County 1950, 26 troupes were restored, and in 1958, 66 troupes were developed.

In 1953, there were 32 troupes in Qinyang county at that time, and in 1957, it grew to more than 100. In order to further foster and develop Huai Bang, the government of Qinyang County established Huai Bang Troupe in early 1955, and Xiuwu County established Huai Bang Troupe in 1958 (later revoked). After 1960, due to the exchange and influence of art, especially the influence of Henan Opera, Huai Bang absorbed too much the artistic characteristics of other operas in the reform, and lost the characteristics of this opera, such as removing the sharp string (big string) of Huai Bang. After the "Cultural Revolution", although Huai Bang's operas were revived, the professionals were out of touch for more than ten years, and the audience was less than before. In addition to Huai Bang Opera Troupe in Qinyang County, rural amateur opera troupes only perform during the Spring Festival.

Qinyang Huai Bang Troupe was founded in 1955, and it is the only performing group in China. It is not only a performing group, but also undertakes the responsibility of studying, popularizing and improving Huai Bang's art, and has become the main position of Huai Bang's art development. Huai Bang Troupe has performed more than 300 traditional plays and nearly 100 modern plays. He published more than 50 papers on Huai Bang's art research in provincial and municipal newspapers, and edited and published works such as Selected Songs of Huai Bang, Art of Huai Bang and Highlights of Huai Bang Forum, which not only played a positive role in promoting the popularization of Huai Bang's operas, but also filled the gap in theoretical research on rare operas in our province. Huai Bang Opera Troupe has participated in nearly 30 national, provincial and municipal opera competitions and won more than 80 prizes. 1992, Huai Bang Troupe was named as "the world's first troupe" by the Ministry of Culture.

In 2000, the Qinyang Municipal Government established Zhu Zaiyu Art School; In 2004 and 2005, Huai Bang Troupe won six gold medals of "Henan Opera Art Treasures"; Wang Dongming, a modern Huai Bang drama, was selected for the "Five Ones" Project Award. In 2007, he published "Fifty Years of Huai Bang Theatre Company", edited and directed the large-scale drama "Huai Bang's Good Wife", and applied for the "Five One Project" award in provinces and cities.

From 2005 to 2008, Jiaozuo Cultural Bureau and Qinyang Municipal People's Government held four sessions of "Shennong Cup" Huai Bang Opera Competition. Nearly 30 teams from Qinyang, Wuzhi, Xiuwu, Wenxian and Jiyuan participated in the competition successively, which further promoted the artistic exchange in Huai Bang. Since 2006, the financial subsidy of Qinyang City to Huai Bang Troupe has increased from 1 10000 yuan to 200000 yuan per year. In August, 2007, with the approval of Qinyang Organizing Committee, Huai Bang Troupe increased by 28 people. In 2007, the central government allocated 200,000 yuan for the protection of Huai Bang Troupe, mainly for updating audio-visual and lighting equipment, purchasing props and creating new drama projects.

After the formation of Huai Bang, it spread rapidly in eight counties of Huaiqing. People not only love watching, but also love singing.

The most attractive thing at the temple fair is Huai Bang's drama. Huai Bang's loud singing and accompaniment resounded through the sky and could be heard from a distance. No matter spring, summer, autumn and winter, the audience is always crowded with people. In order to see clearly, the children occupied the space with stools very early. The opening gong rang three times before the play really began.

According to the survey, almost everyone in Huai Bang can hum and sing, and Huai Bang's melody can be heard from every household to the fields. Up to now, there is a saying that "selling houses locally depends on Huai Bang Opera" and "selling garlic and ginger depends on old Huai Bang".

Go ahead regardless of the wind and rain.

The development of Huai Bang opera has experienced the gestation period of Ming Dynasty, the formation period of Qing Dynasty and the mature and prosperous period from Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China.

At the beginning of the formation of Huai Bang, communication was extremely difficult. At that time, the troupe artists were mostly composed of children from poor families, who had no education. They were all taught by the master himself, and the lyrics were all from the artist's heart. Artists engaged in singing are semi-agricultural and semi-artistic, with a small range of activities and slow development. From the mid-Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, Huai Bang opera developed rapidly, and a large number of influential and famous artists emerged, such as Ma Ugly Niu, Li Yongtai, Qiao Qingyun and Lv Lianren. The number of classes in Huai Bang is increasing day by day, and many troupes have appeared, such as Le Tong Class and Pu Qing Class. From closure to circulation, it has created opportunities for exchange, reference and absorption of foreign Quyi, and injected new vitality into the development of Quyi. Huai Bang began to stand out among the traditional Chinese operas and was welcomed by everyone. There are more than 300 traditional plays, most of which are about the rebellion of the imperial court, serving the country wholeheartedly, fighting on the battlefield, resisting violence and weeding out traitors, and a few folk stories and family life.

Although the development of Huai Bang opera is rarely recorded in historical records, we can also see its development, prosperity and popularization from the perspective of the development of opera houses. Qinyang City, Jiyuan City, wen county City, Wuzhi County, Bo 'ai County and other places have discovered the ruins of ancient theatres and dance buildings in the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as the inscriptions on their construction. Especially during the Qingming period, there were more and more theaters in counties, covering towns and villages. There are only 13 semi-theaters in Tsinghua Town (where Boai County is now located). This half of the theater was built because of the small space, and the other half was temporarily built during the performance. According to statistics, during the Republic of China, there were 4 17 theaters in Jiaozuo.