Nuo opera (Hefeng Nuo opera)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Nuo opera (Hefeng Nuo opera)

Applicant: Hefeng County, Hubei Province

Project No.: 233

Project No.: Ⅳ - 89

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Hubei Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Hefeng County, Hubei Province

Protection unit: Hefeng County Cultural Center (Hefeng County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center)

Introduction to Nuo opera (Hefeng Nuo opera)

Applicant: Hefeng County, Hubei Province

Nuo opera, also known as "Nuotang opera" and "Duangong opera", is a form of local opera formed on the basis of folk sacrificial rites, which is widely popular in Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Shaanxi, Hebei and other provinces. Nuo opera originated in ancient times. As early as in the pre Qin period, there were witch songs and Nuo dances that entertained both gods and people. At the end of Ming Dynasty and the beginning of Qing Dynasty, all kinds of local opera flourished. Nuo dance absorbed the artistic factors of opera and developed into Nuotang opera and Duangong opera. During the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Nuo opera appeared in Western Hunan, and then entered the Yangtze River from the Yuan river. It spread rapidly and merged with folk art in various places, forming a variety of different schools and styles. For example, Nuo opera in Hunan and Hubei (mainly popular in Hefeng and Enshi) was formed by absorbing the performance skills of Huagu opera.

In Hefeng County, Hubei Province, Nuo opera first appeared in the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty. Tian Xinfu, the chieftain of Rongmei, wrote the scene of Nuo opera prevailing in Hefeng at that time in the slogan of Liyang: "in the mixed songs of mountain ghosts, every family helps to carry the body demons. In the deep of the night, it resounds with a howl, arguing that the next door people sing big Nuo. "

The Nuo troupe in Hefeng is called "Tan", while the troupe leader is called "Zhangtan Shi". There are 8 to 10 people in each Nuo troupe. Before the founding of new China, there were about 25 Nuo altars in Hefeng, distributed in zouma, Baiguo, suoping, Nanbei, Yanghe, tielu, Majia, Wuli, Taoshan, Liufeng, Qinghu, Xiaping, Beijia, Zhongying, Wuyang and other towns. At present, in Qinghu village of Yanzi Township and Jiangkou Village of tielu Township, there are two complete teams of Nuo altar performing Nuo opera all the year round, and there are many local youths among them. Apart from these two places, there are also scattered Nuo opera artists in other places. Hefeng Nuo opera has a complete set of sacrificial rites, which are composed of "Fa Gong Cao", "Bai Qi Sao Tai", "invite God", "repair", "Kaishan", "Da Lu", "Zha Zhai", "Ying Shen", "Jiao Cha", "Kaidong", "Xi Zhu", "unearthed place", "Dian ran", "Fa ran", "Bao Gua", "Shou Bing", "Sao Tai", "invite Gang", "Ji Jiang" and "Cao Bing" ”It is also known as "twenty-four operas" and "twenty-four rites". There are still eight links in the simplified ceremony, which are called "zhengba Chu".