Yangko Opera (Qitai Yangko)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yangko Opera (Qitai Yangko)

Applicant: Taigu County, Shanxi Province

Project No.: 214

Project No.: Ⅳ - 70

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Shanxi Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Taigu County, Shanxi Province

Protected by: Taigu Cultural Center

Introduction to Yangko Opera (Qitai Yangko)

Applicant: Taigu County, Shanxi Province

Qitai Yangko is a kind of local opera popular among the people in Shanxi Province. It was originally a folk tune sung by the tillers during the farming activities, and its origin can be traced back to the Tang and Song dynasties. During the orthodox period of the Ming Dynasty, Yangko, which was handed down orally by folk artists, became popular in Jinzhong plain. During Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, there were Yangko troupes in Qixian, such as "Tongle Troupe", "Qitai Xile Troupe" and "Qitai Dewei Troupe". After that, the artists gradually integrated dance, martial arts and various skills into Yangko, and developed "diyangko" and "cross street Yangko"; and further absorbed the content and form of foreign folk art, so that Yangko gradually evolved from street singing to local opera with more than 300 opera destinations. In this process, a popular area of Qitai Yangko was formed, with Qixian and Taigu as the center and Wenshui, Jiaocheng and other surrounding counties.

Qitai Yangko integrates music, dance, singing, recitation, performance and playing. It takes the life stories of farmers in Qixian, Taigu and Jinzhong as its content. The melody is beautiful, the language is lively, and the performance is simple and rough. It has a strong flavor of life and local characteristics. It is deeply loved by the audience in popular areas. It is popular in Jinzhong folk customs and operas It has a certain research value in the development of college students.