Xianxiao (Hezhou Xianxiao)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Xianxiao (Xianxiao in Hezhou)

Applicant: Linxia city, Gansu Province

Item No.: 255

Project No.: V - 19

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: quyi

Region: Gansu Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Linxia city, Gansu Province

Protection unit: Linxia Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Brief introduction of Xianxiao (Hezhou Xianxiao)

Applicant: Linxia city, Gansu Province

Hezhou Xianxiao, also known as "Hezhou singing", "Xianxiao playing", "Hezhou Sanxian Shanshu", "Linxia Xianxiao" and "Hezhou tune", is a traditional form of folk art spread in Linxia area of Gansu Province. It was formed in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty, and got its name because of its performance contents, such as persuading good and punishing evil, loyal officials and good generals, wife and son filial piety.

The traditional performance form of Hezhou Xianxiao is that one person (mainly blind in the past) holds three strings and plays rap by himself. The number of its programs is quite large, and most of them are compiled by artists according to books and handed down from generation to generation. In order to distinguish between them, the artists call the programs that show the rise and fall of the country, loyal officials and good generals "letters of the nation.", Wu Zixu's crossing the river, romance of the Three Kingdoms, Xue Rengui's expedition to the East, Yang Jiajiang, and the case of Baogong are of this kind. The programs that reflect filial piety to parents and love between men and women in daily life are called "family letters". In addition, there are programs such as "Wang Xiang wobing", "Guo Ju buries her son", "Meng Zong Waizhu" with the content of "twenty four filial piety" stories, and "White Ape Steals Peach" and "flower hall" Meet you, little Tintin and so on.

Hezhou Xianxiao has a long history and simple form. However, due to the changes in the social environment for survival and development, its exhibition platform in the vast urban and rural areas has gradually disappeared, which is in urgent need of protection.