Tibetan Opera (deggesar Tibetan Opera)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Tibetan Opera (deggesar Tibetan Opera)

Applicant: dege County, Sichuan Province

Project No.: 224

Project No.: Ⅳ - 80

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Sichuan Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: dege County, Sichuan Province

Protection unit: dege County Cultural Center

Introduction to Tibetan Opera (deggesar Tibetan Opera)

Applicant: dege County, Sichuan Province

Gesar Tibetan opera originated from Zhuqing Temple (belonging to Ningma sect of Tibetan Buddhism) in dege County, Sichuan Province. It began to be edited in 1870 and has a history of more than 130 years. The founder of Gesar Tibetan Opera is the fifth master of Zhuqing temple, Tudeng quyingduoji living Buddha. He presided over the editing and acting of Gesar Tibetan opera, from script to tune, mask, costume and action. The Tibetan opera was officially performed at the Ninth Festival of the Pojiu festival in Zhuqing temple. The characters in the play include 30 generals of Gesar, 11 martyrs and other soldiers. Usually, dozens of actors are required to perform at the same time, and the number of performers can reach more than 180.

Gesar Tibetan opera was first performed in some temples of Ningma sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and then gradually developed to perform in different temples of five sects. It is usually performed in the annual Tibetan calendar year, sacrificial activities and religious festivals, and the open grassland around the temple is often chosen as the performance venue. Before the performance, the monks in the temple organized the arrangement. In this process, new lamas and Zaba constantly joined in, so as to bring the old with the new, and make the Gesar Tibetan Opera develop and inherit.

With the theme of praising and remembering the epic hero Gesar, Gesar Tibetan Opera draws nourishment from the manuscripts and folklore of the biography of King Gesar, which is full of mysterious and ancient cultural atmosphere. In the beginning, Gesar Tibetan Opera mainly performed such contents as "the birth of the book", "horse racing ascends the throne" and "Shi Fa Da Shi Cai Bao". Later, it continued to increase, with more than ten kinds of plays performed.