Fireworks drama is also called fireworks in Wengyuan, and can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty.
Komiks Text/Photo Yangcheng School reporter Zhang Wen Correspondent He Xiaohong Huang Yingxiang
The last performance of the fireworks drama is ten years agoBabaylan room (data picture, provided by Wengyuan County Cultural Center)
Wengyuan Fireworks Opera is a folk technique originating from Zhoupi Town, Wengyuan County, northern Guangdong. In 2008, it was selected as the second batch of intangible cultural heritage in Shaoguan City. Because earth and gunpowder are under control and inheritors are difficult to find, this once glorious performance skill is on the verge of losing, and the last performance was ten years ago. With the 70-year-old representative inheritor of Weng Yuan’s fireworks drama, He Xiuchu, diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years ago, the pace of the loss of Weng Yuan’s fireworks drama has further accelerated. The reporter recently learned from Wengyuan County that the local government is stepping up the “rescue protection” of fireworks opera skills. This Mid-Autumn Festival, the fireworks drama that has been passed down for a hundred years is expected to shine again after ten years of “extinguishing”.
Cinema Origin: A creation from “colored head” to art
Fireworks drama is also called burning fireworks in Wengyuan. It can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. The founder He Zhenren learned to make fireworks since childhood, and later made a living by making and selling fireworks. In order to improve sales, He Zhenren invented “burning fireworks”, that is, to drive a disc to rotate continuously through gunpowder combustion, expressing the meaning of exorcising ghosts and eliminating disasters and praying for good fortune and health. This is the predecessor of Weng Yuan’s fireworks drama.
The reporter recently set off from Wengyuan County and arrived in Xixia Village after more than an hour’s drive, and found the representative inheritor of Wengyuan’s fireworks opera, He Xiuchu. Talking about the origin of the fireworks drama, he said that although He Zhenren’s version of “burning fireworks” only lasts more than 2 minutes, it is still popular because of its “good luck”. Every year, Lantern Festival and February 2nd FestivalEvery household in the local area will set off fireworks, and the most attractive one is the “burning fireworks” invented by He Zhenren.
He Xiuchu is 70 years old this year. He said that he has been learning to make cigarettes with his stepfather He Zhan’ao since he was a teenager, and has a history of 52 years. He Xiuchu told reporters that He Zhan’ao, who is skillful and skillful and capable of painting, is also an important figure in the development of fireworks opera. Through a series of improvements, he has made the fireworks opera performance more ornamental value and attracted more people to watch it. He Xiuchu said that in addition to improving his skills, He Zhan’ao also increased the number of fireworks shows from five or six to more than ten, and the performance time also extended from ten minutes to about an hour.
Before the fireworks show, a wooden frame several meters high will be set up in the center of the venue, and then three or four people will work together to hang the large play cylinder with a diameter of more than one meter on the rack. When the performance begins, ignite the fire line of the general director, and layers of programs will be shaken off from the drama tube. Each program is fixed by a bamboo fire tray, and there are thin ropes and fuses between the trays. Starting from the bottom layer, the fuses continue to burn, and the trays drop in turn. Each program will be presented wonderfully in the fireworks.
”The whole performance was not paused. Each floor program lasted for more than two minutes, and the whole process lasted about an hour.” He Xiuchu said that his stepfather He Zhan’ao made the level of the folk craft of fireworks, a folk craft, and formed a firework art that integrates fireworks and dramatic characters. “The famous programs in the fireworks drama, Guan Gong riding horses, Jiang Taigong fishing, and Beng Gu’s birthday are all created by him.”
Inheritance The difficult continuation of an intangible cultural heritage craft
Like many other folk crafts, the current status of the inheritance of fireworks dramas is not optimistic.
”As long as there are young people who are willing to learn, I will not charge a penny for tuition, and I will definitely pass on everything I know to him.” When talking about the inheritance of fireworks dramas, He Xiuchu was very helpless. He said that the most regrettable thing at the moment is that there are few successors, “The current year is Cinema Most young people choose to go out to work, and few are willing to learn fireworks operas.”
After 52 years of production of fireworks operas, He Xiuchu has always had an unsatisfactory feeling about this skill, especially when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years ago, which made He Xiuchu desperately want to accept an apprentice, “No matter whether he can make money or not, the things that our ancestors have passed on for hundreds of years must not be lost in my hands!”
He Xiuchu and others polish new props, striving to succeed in the performance
He Xiuchu said that the production process of fireworks dramas is complicated and the skills are Cinema High artistic requirements are also an important reason for the difficulty of circulation. To make the performance complete and smooth, you must accurately budget the rhythm of the gunpowder wire burning and the puppet story. The time must match. “I learned production skills from my stepfather at the age of 18, and only after six years can I independently complete the full set of fireworks dramas.”
Recalling the grand performance of that year, He Xiuchu said that whether it was the Lantern Festival, or the folk wedding, childbirth, or birthday, Weng Yuan and the people in Xinfeng, Yingde and other places in the surrounding areas would always invite him to perform fireworks dramas to show great gifts. “Everyone is happy, and the onlookers are feasting their eyes. The boss feels that he has face, and we are also Cinema enjoyed it. “
He Xiuchu said that one reason why fireworks dramas gradually faded out of the stage was the state’s control over gunpowder. Earth-gunpowder is an indispensable raw material in the production of fireworks dramas, but due to their regulation, it is now difficult to obtain. Even if you successfully obtain earth gunpowder, the production of fireworks dramas itself may face legal risks. Some intangible cultural heritage inheritors were once punished for using gunpowder to make fireworks.
Protection A new possibility is being tried
The local cultural department has been paying attention to the inheritance and protection of Wengyuan fireworks dramas. 2KomiksIn May 008, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Wengyuan County Cultural Center contacted He Xiuchu to deeply explore and organize this almost lost folk art, fireworks dramaIt was also successfully selected into the second batch of intangible cultural heritage catalog in Shaoguan City that year. He Xiuchu said that this performance was also the last time that the fireworks show was presented to the public eye, more than ten years ago.
He Xiuchu is telling the staff of Wengyuan County Cultural Center about the grand occasion of the fireworks performance that year
After learning about the current status of the fireworks inheritance and the physical condition of the representative inheritor He Xiuchu, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Wengyuan County Cultural Center and the Zhoupi Town Government decided to implement the “rescue protection plan” and allocated tens of thousands of yuan to protect the fireworks skills. According to the plan, fireworks will be restored to the world during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.
At the beginning of this year, He Xiuchu decided to teach the production skills of Komiks fireworks show production skills to He Chengying, the webmaster of Zhoupi Town Cultural Station. He personally demonstrated and worked hard with He Chengying. He spent several months to finally produce the installations and props of the fireworks show. “Although I can’t guarantee that the fireworks show will be successful in one go, ‘Nothing in the world is difficult, I’m afraid of those who are interested’, we have confidence!”
He Xiuchu said that in the performance ten years ago, the earth gunpowder was preserved by others in the neighboring county. It took a lot of effort to find it. Now it is undoubtedly more difficult to find earth gunpowder. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Babaylan is difficult. In order to solve the problem of gunpowder leads, they comply with the national explosives management laws and regulations, and after many twists and turns, they bought gunpowder from professional companies. Now, “new gunpowder” needs to be used accurately in the performance, and they also need to slowly get along with He Chengying.
In order to welcome the fireworks performance that is about to reappear in front of the world, He Xiuchu is currently overcoming her illness and stepping up her efforts to make parts and figure out new techniques for using gunpowder. He Xiuchu hopes that the fireworks show will be more perfect, outstanding and more enjoyable. For this reason, he continues to innovate. He worked hard on props. With the help of Xu Quanwu, the retired director of Wengyuan County Cultural Center, he tried to add colorful clay, plastic, foam asbestos and other new materials to the production of puppet props.comicmov.com/”>Babaylan material, in order to make the puppet props more vivid, they will reappear on the stage that has been disobedient for a long time.
Source｜Yangcheng School
PictureCinema film｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong