Ma Jie Book Fair

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Majie Book Club

Applicant: Baofeng County, Henan Province

Item No.: 506

Project No.: Ⅹ - 58

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Henan Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Baofeng County, Henan Province

Protection unit: Baofeng people's Cultural Center

Brief introduction of Majie Book Fair

Applicant: Baofeng County, Henan Province

The Majie book fair in Baofeng County, Henan Province, also known as "shisanmajie book fair", is a national Fair for quyi trade. Every year, the 13th to 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar is the date of the book fair, and the 13th is the day of the book fair. The book fair will be held on the Bank of Beiying River in Majie village, Yangzhuang Town, 7km south of Baofeng county. At that time, storytellers from Henan Province and other provinces and cities will gather here to show their skills of storytelling, including Zhuizi, Daoqing, Quzi, Qinshu and so on. Because of its unique folk art performance charm and strong cultural heritage, Majie Book Fair is known as one of the "top ten folk customs in China". Therefore, Baofeng county has been named as the "hometown of Quyi" and "hometown of Chinese folk art" by the relevant departments of the state.

The history of Majie book club is very long, and its starting date is hard to ascertain. According to historical data, it may have appeared in the Yuan Dynasty, more than 600 years ago; it may have appeared in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, more than 200 years ago.

As a distinctive place for folk art exchange and cultural space, Majie Book Fair is characterized by: 1. Large scale, ranking the first in the country; 2. Long history and long history; 3. Storytelling and "writing" (agreeing storytelling contract with artists), unique form; 4. Rich connotation and great influence; 5. Meeting friends with books, deep affection of art hometown.

During the book fair every year, folk artists from all over the world come to "light the book" (to show the art of storytelling) with reverence. They talk, pull, play and sing with the sky as the curtain and the earth as the platform. They meet their friends with art and pass it on from generation to generation. The audience is often more than 100000, affecting hundreds of kilometers around.