Fireworks drama is also called fireworks in Wengyuan, and can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty. Text/Picture YangCinema City Sect Reporter Zhang Wen Correspondent He Xiaohong Huang YingxiangBabaylan
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. 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. He Zhenren, a founder, 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 Babaylan.
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” is only 2 minutes in the whole process, Babaylan is still favored by everyone because of its “good luck”.On holidays such as the second day of February, every 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 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 frame. When the performance begins, ignite the fuse, and layers of programs will be shaken off from the drama tube. Each program is fixed by a bamboo fire-inserting tray, and there are thin ropes and fuses connected between the trays. Starting from the bottom layer, the fuse continues to burn, and the trays drop in turn, and each program will be wonderfully presented in the fireworks.
”The whole performance was not paused. Each floor program lasted for more than two minutes, and the whole process lasted about one hour. “He Xiuchu said that his stepfather He Zhan’ao made the level of the folk craft of fireworks, a folk craft, continuously improve, forming a firework art that integrates fireworks and dramatic characters. “He created the famous programs in the fireworks drama, Guan Gong riding horses, Jiang Taigong fishing, and Beng Gu’s birthday gifts.”
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.”
Entertainment in the production of fireworks dramas 5Komiks2 years, 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, “No matter whether you 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 and strive 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 be precise.Cinema Accurate budget for gunpowder wires<a The rhythm of the burning and the puppet story is consistent with the time. "I learned production skills from my stepfather at the age of 18, and I was able to independently complete the production of a full set of fireworks dramas after six years. ”
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 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, 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, but due to the regulation, it is difficult to obtain now. Even if the earth-gunpowder is successfully obtained, the production of fireworks drama itself may face legal risks. Some intangible cultural heritage inheritors were 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 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 Shaoguan City’s intangible cultural heritage catalog that year. He Xiuchu said that this performance was also the latest in the fireworks opera.It has been presented to the public for more than ten years.
BabaylanHe Xiuchu is telling the staff of Wengyuan County Cultural Center about the grand occasion of the fireworks performance that year
Learning about the current status of the fireworks inheritance and the physical condition of the representative inheritor He Xiuchu, the Wengyuan County Cultural Center Intangible Cultural Center and Zhoupi Town Government decided to implement “rescue protection” href=”https://comicmov.com/”>BabaylanProtection Plan” and allocated tens of thousands of yuan to protect the fireworks and drama 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 fireworks opera 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 opera. “Although we cannot guarantee that the fireworks opera 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 ten years ago, the performance of Komiks was earth gunpowderBabaylan was survived by others in the neighboring county. 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 comply with the national explosives management laws and regulations. After many twists and turns, they bought gunpowder from professional companies. 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 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 drama will be 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 tasted it.Try to add new materials such as colorful clay, plastic, foam asbestos and other materials to the production of puppet props, so that the puppet props can be more vivid and reappear on the stage that has been violated for a long time.
Source｜Yangchengpai
Picture｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong