Yanbei playing with children

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yanbei

Applicant: Datong City, Shanxi Province

Item No.: 185

Project No.: Ⅳ - 41

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Shanxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Datong City, Shanxi Province

Protection unit: Datong children's drama transmission center

Introduction to Yanbei playing with children

Applicant: Datong City, Shanxi Province

Playing children, also known as kekeqiang, is a kind of opera named after Qupai, which is mainly distributed in Datong City and surrounding areas in northern Shanxi Province. During the reign of Jiaqing and Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty, there were activities of playing with children, which formed at least before that.

The singing style of shuahar belongs to Qupai style, which is called pingquzi. There are three structural types: noumenon, main style and variant style. Based on the main melody, a set of tunes such as "xibangzi", "kubangzi", "daosanban", "banbangzi", "duobangzi", "meihuabangzi" and "Chuaner" are embedded to form a whole set of aria. At the same time, the singing methods of "Jieban" and "gunbai" in Bangzi opera are skillfully absorbed, so that banqiang music and Qupai music can be integrated and freely converted without leaving any trace. The traditional accompaniment music of shuahar is fenwen and Wuchang. Banhu and dizi are the main accompaniment instruments in the Wenchang. The tone and melody are cheerful and lively, tactful and loud. Gongs, gongs, drums and cymbals are used in the Wuchang. Music accompaniment is closely combined with singing, which is very harmonious. The most prominent feature of playing children is the voice after singing. The voice squeezes out from the back of the throat, coughs first and then sings. It creates a strong sound effect with special timbre.

Shua'er has its own traditional plays, including more than 40 representative ones, such as baimaguan, qirenxian, sanxiaopai, dafotang, dui Lianzhu, songjingniang, jinmuyu, Shizi cave, huayuanhui, Erlongshan, and qujiao. Playing children's roles includes five elements: black, raw, Dan and ugly. The performance absorbs a lot of folk dance movements, which is closer to life and full of local flavor.

The unique singing and pronunciation method, cheerful and hot percussion music, extensive repertoire, and unique style of drama make the ancient drama "shuan'er" increasingly attract the attention of experts and scholars. It is called the "living fossil" in the history of drama. The protection of this ancient drama is of great significance to the study of the origin, development, distribution and survival of Chinese opera. Due to the problems of funds and personnel, and the conflict with modern life style, Yanbei shuo'er is facing a survival crisis, which must be rescued and protected as soon as possible.