Fireworks drama is also called fireworks in Wengyuan, and can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Text/Pictures: YangBabaylan City Sect Reporter Zhang Wen Correspondent He Xiaohong Huang Yingxiang
The last fireworks opera was ten years since its last performance (data picture, provided by Wengyuan County Cultural Center)
Wengyuan fireworks opera is a folk technique originating from Zhoupi Town, Wengyuan County, northern Guangdong. It was selected into the second batch of intangible cultural heritage in Shaoguan City in 2008. 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. As He Xiuchu, the representative inheritor of 70-year-old Weng Yuan fireworks drama, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years ago, the pace of loss of Weng Yuan 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”.
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 the “burning fireworks”, which means driving 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 after more than an hour’s drive, he arrived in Wuxia Village 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 the “good Komiks lottery”, it is still popular. Every year, Lantern Festival and FebruaryOn second-class festivals, every household in the local area will set off fireworks, and the most attractive one is the “burning fireworks” invented by He Zhenren.
Old man He Xiuchu is 70 years old this year. Babaylan said that he has learned to do fireworks with his stepfather He Zhan’ao since he was a teenager, and it has a history of 52 years. He Xiuchu told reporters that He Zhan’ao, who is skillful and good at painting, is also an important figure in the development of fireworks opera. Through a series of improvements, he 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, the main fuse is ignited, and layers of programs will be shaken off from the big show. Each program is fixed by a bamboo fire tray. There are thin ropes and fuses connected between the trays. Starting from the bottom layer, the fuses continue to burn, and the trays drop in turn, and each program will be presented wonderfully in the fireworks.
”The entire 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 Cinema He Zhan’ao made the level of fireworks, a folk craft, continuously improve, forming a firework art that integrates fireworks and dramatic characters. “The famous programs in 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. “Now young people choose to go out to work, and few are willing to learn fireworks dramas.”
After 52 years of being engaged in the production of fireworks dramas, He Xiuchu 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 technical requirements are high, which is also an important reason for the difficulty of circulating Komiks. To make the performance complete and smooth, you must accurately budget the course of the gunpowder wire combustion and the puppet story. The time must be consistent, “I have been 1Cinema learned production skills from her stepfather at the age of 8, and only after six years was the only way to independently complete the production of a complete set of fireworks dramas. Recalling the grand performance of that year, He Xiuchu said that no matter whether it was the Lantern Festival Lantern Festival, or the folk wedding, childbirth, or birthday, Weng Yuan local and in the surrounding Xinfeng, Yingde and other places, he would always invite him to perform fireworks to show great gifts. “Everyone is happy, the onlookers feast their eyes, the boss feels that he has face, and we also enjoy it. ”
He BabaylanXiuchu said that one reason for the gradual fading of fireworks is the state’s control over gunpowder. Earth gunpowder is an indispensable raw material in the production of smoke, but Komiks is now difficult to obtain because of the regulation. Even if the earth gunpowder is successfully obtained, the production of fireworks itself may face legal risks. 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 always maintained attention to the inheritance and protection of Wengyuan fireworks opera. In May 2008, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Wengyuan County Cultural Center contacted He Xiuchu to deeply explore and organize this almost lost folk art. The fireworks opera was also successfully selected into the second batch of intangible cultural heritage catalog in Shaoguan that year. He Xiuchu said that this performance was also the last time the fireworks opera 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 allocate tens of thousands of yuan to the fireworks. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>BabaylanThe art skills are protected. According to the plan, the fireworks drama 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 fireworks drama production skills to He Chengying, the webmaster of Zhoupi Town Cultural Station. He personally demonstrated and worked hard with He Chengying to Komiks spent several months finally making the installations and props of the fireworks drama. “Although we cannot guarantee that the fireworks drama will be successful in one go, ‘nothing is difficult in the world, I am 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, and it took a lot of effort to find it. Now, it is undoubtedly more difficult to find earth gunpowder. In order to solve the problem of gunpowder leads, they followed the national explosive management laws and regulations and after many twists and turns to buy gunpowder from professional companies. Now the “new gunpowder” must be used accurately in the performance. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Cinema use, and he also needs 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 the pain and stepping up the use of parts with He Chengying with Komiks. He Xiuchu hopes that the fireworks play is more perfect, outstanding and more enjoyable. For this reason, he continues to innovate and work hard on props. With the help of Xu Quanwu, the retired director of Wengyuan County Cultural Center, he tries to add Cinema to make puppet props./”>CinemaColorful clay, plastic, foam asbestos and other new materials, in order to make the puppet props more vivid and reappear on the stage that has been disobedient for a long time.
Source｜Yangcheng School
Picture｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong