The Origin of Yugu Opera

There are interludes in the Yuan Dynasty zaju "Yueyang Tower" and "Bamboo Boat". Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has gradually spread and its influence has been expanding, becoming one of the more popular forms of Quyi. Artists often sing in Jining, Heze, Linyi, Huimin, Jiaodong and other places in Shandong. Since 1723 (the first year of Yongzheng, Qing Dynasty), when the fishing drum was popular in Zhanhua rural area in Huimin area, it had been put on the stage for a make-up performance, and gradually evolved into a large-scale opera art-fishing drum play with the expansion of singing content and characters.

According to Liu Hansan (old student, painted face), Bian Side (Tsing Yi, Hua Dan), Bian Hongwu (pupil, clown) and Bian Hongzhi (baby student), about 1723, a "Yongfeng" was built in the west of Hujiaying Village, seven kilometers west of Zhanhua County. After the fishing drum play was handed down, Hu Jiaying's artists gathered in the theater to rehearse every winter and performed on stage during the Spring Festival until the first month. At the same time, every year in September, they will set up a stage for a special performance.

By about 1835, more than a dozen old artists engaged in fishing drum drama in Hujiaying, such as Bian Xitian, Bian Chang, Bian Tingrong, Bian Tingjie and Bian Hongyu, sang and taught fishing drum drama in the local area, which made Hujiaying fishing drum drama once prosperous. Amateur troupe members increased from 30 to 50, and trained a large number of apprentices, namely Liu Hansan and Bian Side, who are still alive today. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), under the guidance of the Party's literary and artistic policies, Yugu Opera has made new progress. Yugu Opera, represented by Hu Jiaying and Liu Han, has become the only active opera art form in Zhanhua rural towns.

Mianyang's fishing drum play is full of ugliness, with orchestral strings, drums, cymbals, big gongs, small gongs and ma gongs, which are played on the stage and interspersed with singing. There are more than 50 kinds of vocals * * *, mainly in Mianyang Yugu tune, combined with Mianyang ancient painting opera, Han opera, Chu opera and other vocals, which have the characteristics of cheerful rhythm, lively tune and bold.