Xi Opera

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: xiju

Applicant: Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Project No.: 704

Project No.: Ⅳ - 103

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Jiangsu Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province

Protection unit: Changzhou xiju theater, Jiangsu Province

Introduction to Xi Opera:

Applicant: Changzhou City

Xiju, formerly known as tanhuang, is one of the main operas in Jiangsu Province. Its birthplace is located in Dongbei township of Wuxi City and de'anqiao area of Changzhou City, so it is called "Xitan" and "Changtan". Since the reign of Qianlong and Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty, tanhuang has been popular in Wu dialect, and professional or semi professional tanhuang artists appeared in Daoguang year. On the basis of long-term practice, this folk rap art has gradually evolved into an independent opera tune.

The singing music of Xi opera takes "spring tune" as the basic melody, and has dozens of tunes such as "Continental board" and "bell tune". In the course of performing for many years, Xi opera has formed many singing schools with artistic personality, such as Yao (Cheng), Wang (Lanying), Shen (Peihua), Wang (Binbin), Mei (Lanzhen), Wang (Hanqing) and Wu (Yatong), which has actively promoted the development of operas. Xi opera is mainly performed by Huadan and Xiaosheng. The representative plays such as Shuang Chumo, meeting in an Tang, recognizing mother in an Tang and Shuang Zhu Feng have been made into art films. In addition to the traditional repertoire, there are also a number of excellent modern operas in Xi opera, among which the red seed is most praised. In recent years, Pearl Tower, a traditional play rebuilt by a new generation of Xi opera performing artists, has won the award of new play of the Ministry of culture, marking the further development of Xi opera in the new era.

The melodies of Xi opera are elegant and lyrical, with a strong flavor of life and unique charm of Jiangnan Water Town. It is a precious treasure of Wu culture. It, together with Shanghai Opera, Yongju opera and Su opera, which belong to tanhuang system, forms a beautiful landscape of Jiangnan opera art and provides rich resources for the study of Jiangnan local culture.