Liyuan Opera

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Liyuan Opera

Applicant: Quanzhou City, Fujian Province

Item No.: 146

Project No.: Ⅳ - 2

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Fujian Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Quanzhou City, Fujian Province

Protection unit: Fujian Liyuan opera inheritance Center (Fujian Liyuan opera experimental Troupe)

Introduction to Liyuan Opera

Applicant: Quanzhou City, Fujian Province

Liyuan opera originated in Quanzhou during the song and Yuan Dynasties. Together with southern opera in Zhejiang Province, Liyuan opera is known as the "voice of Fujian and Zhejiang" which "plays the singing and reciting tune of Southern Song opera". It has a history of more than 800 years and is known as the "living fossil of ancient southern opera". Liyuan opera is widely spread in Quanzhou, Zhangzhou and Xiamen of Fujian Province, Chaoshan of Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, as well as in Southeast Asian countries.

Liyuan opera preserves many works, singing and performance rules of southern opera in song and Yuan Dynasties. It is divided into three schools of "Shanglu" and "Xianan" in xiaoliyuan (qiziban) and Daliyuan. Each school has its own reserved repertoire known as "shibapengtou". It has preserved 25 kinds of Southern Opera repertoire, such as Zhu Wen, Liu Wenlong, Cai Bozhe and Wang Kui. Liyuan opera still exists on the stage and basically retains its original style. It has a set of strict and standardized performance forms, the basic action is called "Eighteen steps Ke Mu", and all trades must abide by this standard; Liyuan opera music retains the form of South opera mainly accompanied by drums, Xiao and strings, and its singing style is originated from the ancient music of Jin and Tang dynasties, sung in Quanzhou dialect, with one word and many tunes, belonging to the style of Qupai, and still uses the ancient music such as "Moke doule" and "Ni Shang Yu Yi Qu" The name of Qupai; the pipa used in Liyuan opera is Nanpa, which plays horizontally and is similar to that of Tang Dynasty; the first string is Xi Qin of Jin Dynasty; the Dongxiao is Chiba of Tang Dynasty; the percussion music is mainly composed of nangu (foot drum), with unique playing method.

"Shed" is the traditional performance venue of Liyuan opera. Before the performance, it is necessary to hold a "shed offering" ceremony to honor Marshal Tiandu, the founder of the opera, and then begin to act as a role and jump to the official position. Different from the general opera stage with one table and two chairs, there are only benches in the front and rear of the shed; the end of the Southern Song Dynasty drama "eye medicine sour" can still be seen in the performances of Jing and Chou in Liyuan opera.

Liyuan opera preserves the literature and living materials of drama in song and Yuan Dynasties, from which we can understand the important characteristics of southern opera culture and southern Fujian regional culture. In the sense of history and culture, Liyuan opera is an invisible comprehensive art treasure house. Due to the changes of the times, the audience of Liyuan opera is decreasing, which makes the survival of Liyuan opera in a serious crisis.