Taining Meilin Opera

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Taining Meilin Opera

Applicant: Taining County, Fujian Province

Item No.: 176

Project No.: Ⅳ - 32

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Fujian Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Taining County, Fujian Province

Protection unit: Taining Meilin opera art inheritance and Protection Center

Introduction to Taining Meilin Opera

Applicant: Taining County, Fujian Province

Meilin opera, commonly known as tuxi and tujing opera, is one of the local operas in Fujian Province. It is popular in Taining, Jiangle, Shunchang, Shaowu, Guangze and other places. During the reign of Qianlong and Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty, huidiao was introduced into Taining via Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces. It was integrated with local dialect, folk tunes and Taoist music to form operas with local characteristics. His monologue is in Local Mandarin, and his singing is mainly Luantan, xipi and Xiajiang.

The melody of Meilin opera is beautiful and moving. It is mainly composed of pihuang, Pizi and chuqiang. In addition, there are South to North tune, Xiansuo, Huizhou Ci, Zhejiang tune, Siping tune, qingban tune and minor tune. There are two types of accompaniment instruments: Wenyue and Wuyue. Wenyue includes Jinghu, erhu, Sanxian, Yueqin, pipa, Yangqin, suona, bamboo flute, etc. Wuyue includes Dagu, Daping drum, Jingluo, Xiaoluo, xiaocymbal, etc.

The roles of Meilin opera are quite complete, including "five doors and seventeen lines", "Seventeen lines", namely Zhengsheng, Fusheng, Xiaosheng, Laosheng, wawaseng, touliangdan, erliangdan, sanliangdan, Huadan, jinbangdan, chapandan, Caidan, laodan, Dahua, Erhua, Sanhua and Sihua. Its performance style is simple and rugged, with strict procedures, singing, doing, reading and playing have distinct personality, clothing and make-up are relatively simple. In the performance, there are Kejie movements similar to ancient "entertaining gods" and string puppets, as well as many traditional special effects, such as "pulling teeth", "changing leaf fire into skirt", "changing face", "playing fork", "supporting zombies" and "going down the stage". There are more than 330 traditional plays in Meilin opera, and more than 130 scripts have been collected and recorded. More than 30 traditional plays, such as "flying dragon belt", "blue belt", "mandarin duck belt" and "male and female whip", have been arranged and performed.

Meilin opera originated from Hui opera, and it has preserved the artistic characteristics of Hui opera. To study Hui art and explore the history of Chinese opera, Meilin opera is undoubtedly a rare material. However, with the rapid development of society today, Meilin opera is in a survival dilemma. Although the troupe is still touring in rural areas, the appearance fee is too low, and the economic situation is very tense. It is always faced with the danger of dissolution of the troupe and extinction of operas. It is necessary to formulate measures to protect it as soon as possible.