Xihe Dagu

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Xihe Dagu

Applicant: Hejian City, Hebei Province

Item No.: 241

Project No.: V - 5

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: quyi

Region: Hebei Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Hejian City, Hebei Province

Protected by: Hejian Cultural Center

Introduction to Xihe Dagu

Applicant: Hejian City, Hebei Province

Xihe Dagu is a typical form of Gushu and Guqu in North China. It is popular in Hebei Province and spreads around Henan, Shandong, Beijing, Tianjin, Inner Mongolia and Northeast China. In the process of spreading, there were some names such as "dagushu", "meihuadiao", "xihetiao", "Hejian Dagu" and "Xianzi drum". In the 1920s, it was named "Xihe Dagu" in Tianjin and is still in use today.

Xihe Dagu was developed from wooden Dagu. The founder of Xihe Dagu is generally believed to be Ma Ruihe, a famous artist of wooden Dagu, who originated in Daoguang and Xianfeng years of Qing Dynasty.

Xihe Dagu is performed in the form of one person's self striking copperplate, book drum and rap, and accompanied by a specially assigned person with three strings. Its singing is simple and vigorous, its style is like speaking and singing, and its charm is very unique. There are long, medium and short stories in traditional programs. There are more than 150 medium and long stories, more than 370 Book caps and short paragraphs. Most of the contents are historical war stories and popular folk stories. The plot is tortuous and the language is vivid. It is an excellent folk art heritage in China.

Xihe Dagu has been loved by the masses in popular areas since its birth, including Ma Ruihe, Zhu Hualin (Zhu Daguan), Mao Ben (Wang Zhenyuan), Wang Zaitang (twinkling of an eye), Zhang shuanglai, Hao Yingji, Zhao Yufeng, Ma Liandeng, Wang Shuxiang, Li Quanlin, Ma zengfen, Wang Yanfen, Duan Shaofang and other famous artists, as well as Xiangma Zhuan, hujiajiang and xuejiajiang 》"The case of Liu Gong", "the case of Shi Gong", "the seven nations before and after", "the couple fighting for lights" and other classic programs. Since the middle and late 20th century, there has been an unprecedented crisis in the inheritance and development of Xihe drum.