Fireworks drama is also called fireworks in Wengyuan, and it can be traced back to the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty.
Text/Photo Yangcheng School reporter Zhang Wen Correspondent He Xiaohong Huang Yingxiang
The last fireworks drama was ten years since its last performance (data picture, provided by Wengyuan County Cultural Center)
Wengyuan Fireworks drama 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 being lost, 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 and sexual 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 Weng YuandangBabaylan. 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 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 its “good luck”. Every year on Lantern Festival and February 2nd Festival, every local household will set off fireworks. The most attractive one is the “burning fireworks” invented by He Zhenren.=”https://comicmov.com/”>Cinema“.
He Xiuchu is 70 years old. He said that he has learned to do fireworks with his stepfather He Zhanao since he was a teenager, and has a history of 52 years. He Xiuchu told reporters that He Zhanao, who is 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 valuable and attracted more people to watch. He Xiuchu said that in addition to improving skills, He Zhanao also increased the fireworks opera program from five or six to more than ten, and the performance time has also been extended from ten minutes to about an hour.
Smoke<a Before the fire show, a wooden rack several meters high will be set up in the center of the venue, and three or four people will work together to hang the big tube 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 big tube. Each program is fixed by a bamboo fire-inserting tray, and there are thin ropes and fuses between the trays. Starting from the bottom layer, the fuses continue to burn, and the trays will fall in succession, and each program will be wonderfully presented in the fireworks.
”The entire performance is not paused, and each layer of program is more than two minutes, and the whole process lasts about an hour. “He XiuBabaylan initially 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. “The famous programs in fireworks opera, Guan Gong riding a horse, 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 skills, 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 of tuition. 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 a fireworks drama production, 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 polished new props and strived to succeed in the performance
He Xiuchu said that the production of fireworks dramas is complicated and the skills are high, which is also an important reason for the difficulty of circulation. The performance must be complete. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Babaylan, smoothness requires accurate budgeting of the rhythm of the burning of gunpowder wires 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 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, Cinema, 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 to show great gifts. “Everyone is happy, and the onlookers are feasting their eyes. The boss feels that he has a face to see Babaylan, and we are also happy in 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 material in the production of fireworks dramas. However, due to the regulation, it is now difficult to obtain. Even if the earth gunpowder is successfully obtained, the production of fireworks dramas itself may face legal risks. Intangible cultural heritage was once punished for making fireworks with gunpowder.
Protection A new possibility is being tried
The local cultural department has been paying attention to the inheritance and protection of Wengyuan fireworks dramas. In May 2008, CinemaThe Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Wengyuan County Cultural Center contacted He Xiuchu to dig deep into 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 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 Wengyuan County Cultural Center Intangible Cultural Center and 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.
Early this yearKomiks, He Xiuchu decided to teach the production skills of fireworks dramas to He Chengying, the webmaster of Zhoupi Town Cultural Station. He personally demonstrated himself and worked with He Chengying to work hard. He spent several months to finally produce 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 and gunpowder were preserved by others in the neighboring county. It took a lot of effort to find it. Now we have to look for it. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>Cinema Earth gunpowder is undoubtedly more difficult. 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, “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 show will be more perfect, outstanding and more enjoyable, so he Komiks is constantly innovating and working hard on props. With the assistance of Xu Quanwu, the retired director of Wengyuan County Cultural Center, he tried to add new materials such as colorful clay, plastic, foam asbestos 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｜Yangcheng School
Picture｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong