Fireworks drama is also called fireworks in Wengyuan, and can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty.
Text/Picture Yangcheng School reporter Zhang Wen Correspondent He Xiaohong Huang Yingxiang
KomiksThe last fireworks opera was performed ten years ago (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 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”.
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 gods 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 FireworksBabaylan” is only more than 2 minutes, it is still popular because of its “good luck”. Every year on the Lantern Festival and the Second February Festival, every local household will set off fireworks, among which Cinemamov.com/”>BabaylanThe most attractive thing about Babaylan is the “burning fireworks” invented by He Zhenren.
He Xiuchu is 70 years old this year. He 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 dramas. Through a series of improvements, he has made fireworks performances more viewing value and attracted more people to watch. He Xiuchu said that in addition to improving skills, He Zhan’ao also increased the fireworks drama programs from five or six to more than ten, and the performance time has also increased from ten. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Babaylan clock extends to about an hour.
SmokeKomiksBefore the fire show, a wooden frame several meters high will be set up in the center of the venue, and three or four people will work together to hang the large opera barrel with a diameter of more than one meter on the rack. When the performance begins, the main fuse will be ignited, and layers of programs will be shaken off from the large opera barrel, each program made of bamboo. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>CinemaThe fire-inserting tray is fixed, and there are thin ropes and fuses connected between the trays. Starting from the bottom layer, the fuses continue to burn, and the trays descend in turn, and each program will be wonderfully presented in the fireworks.
”The entire tableBabaylanThere is no pause in the middle of the performance. Each layer has more than two minutes of the program, and the whole process lasts for one hour. “He Xiuchu said that his stepfather He Zhan’ao made the level of fireworks opera, a folk craft, continuously improve, forming a firework art that integrates fireworks and dramatic characters. “He created the famous programs in fireworks opera, Guan Gong riding a horse, Jiang Taigong fishing, and Beng Gu’s birthday. ”
Inheritance The difficult continuation of an intangible cultural heritage craft
Like many other folk skills, the current status of the inheritance of fireworks opera is not optimistic.
”As long as there are young people who are willing to learn, I will not charge a penny of tuition, and I will definitely teach him everything I know. “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 a fireworks show, He Xiuchu has always had a feeling of being unable to let go of this skill, especially when he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer two years ago, which made He Xiuchu desperately want to take an apprentice, “regardless of whether he can make money or not,Things that our ancestors have passed on for hundreds of years must not be lost in my hands! ”
He Xiuchu and others polished new props and strived 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 circulation. To make the performance complete and smooth, you must accurately budget the rhythm of the gunpowder wire combustion and the puppet story, which must match the time. “I learned production skills from my stepfather at the age of 18, and only after six years can I complete the production of the full set of fireworks dramas independently. ”
Komiks recalled 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 local people in Xinfeng, Yingde and other places would always invite him to perform fireworks to show great gifts. “Everyone is happy, and the onlookers are feasting their eyes. The boss feels that he has face, and we also enjoy it. ”
He Xiuchu said that one reason for the gradual fading of fireworks drama is the state’s control over gunpowder. Earth gunpowder is an indispensable raw material in the production of fireworks dramas, but it is difficult to obtain now due to the regulation. Even if the earth gunpowder is successfully obtained, the production of fireworks dramas itself may face legal risks. Some intangible cultural heritage inheritors were punished for using gunpowder to make fireworks with gunpowder.
Cinema protection A new possibility is being tried. The local cultural department has been paying attention to the inheritance and protection of Wengyuan fireworks opera. In May 2008, the Wengyuan County Cultural Center KomiksIntangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center contacted He Xiuchu to conduct in-depth exploration and sorting of this almost lost folk artCinema. 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 a fireworks operaThe last time it was presented to the public eye is 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
Babaylan learned 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, 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 production skills of cigarettes and Cinema 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, props, etc. of the fireworks show. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Komiks “Although I can’t guarantee that the fireworks will be successful in one go, ‘Nothing is difficult in the world, I’m afraid of those who are determined’, 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. It is undoubtedly more difficult to find earth gunpowder now. In order to solve the problem of gunpowder leads, they followed the national explosives management laws and regulations and bought gunpowder from professional companies after many twists and turns. Now the “new gunpowder” needs to be used accurately in the performance, and they also need to slowly get in with He Chengying.
In order to welcome the fireworks performance that is about to reappear in front of the world, He Xiu is overcoming the pain at the beginning, and is stepping up his efforts to make parts and think about 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 and work hard on props. With the assistance of Xu Quanwu, the retired director of Wengyuan County Cultural Center, he tried to add colorful clay, plastic, and foam stone to the production of puppet props.micmov.com/”>Komiks new materials such as cotton, in order to make puppet props more vivid, they will reappear on the stage that has been disobedient for a long time.
Source｜YangCinemaCinema
Picture｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong