Huangmei Opera

Overview

Huangmei Opera (黄梅戏) is one of the major forms of Chinese traditional opera, originating from the Huangmei County in Hubei Province and flourishing particularly in Anhui Province. Known for its lyrical and expressive qualities, it has become one of China's "five major operatic forms" and was inscribed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage of China in 2006. The opera is characterized by its distinctive singing style, simple and elegant musical accompaniment, and accessible lyrics that often draw from folk traditions and everyday life.

History

Origins

The origins of Huangmei Opera can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). Historical records indicate that Huangmei tea-picking songs (采茶歌) were already popular during this period. Through the development of folk songs in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and the influence of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) Zaju (杂剧, a form of Chinese opera), a primitive form of folk opera gradually emerged. By the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, theatrical performances in Huangmei County had become increasingly prevalent.

The opera was initially known by various names including "Tea-picking Tune" (采茶调), "Cai Zi" (采子), and "Huangmei Tune" (黄梅调), before eventually being named "Huangmei Opera." It originated from the tea-picking tunes of the Duoyun Mountainous Area and Taibai Lake region in Huangmei County, taking shape during the Daoguang era (1821-1850) of the Qing Dynasty. It then spread to the vast areas along the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, and Jiangsu provinces. Pioneering artists such as Xing Xiuniang (邢绣娘) and Yu Haixian (余海先) made outstanding contributions to the formation, development, and dissemination of Huangmei Opera.

Huangmei County is located at the junction of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui provinces, on the north bank of the Yangtze River. The region frequently suffered from natural disasters, particularly floods. These calamities forced local residents to learn Huangmei Opera as a means of survival during years of flooding, performing it while begging in other regions. This greatly promoted the development of Huangmei Opera from mountainous areas to lakes and plains, and its radiation to the adjacent regions of Hubei, Jiangxi, and Anhui.

Development History

The development of Huangmei Opera can be broadly divided into three stages:

1. Early Stage (from the late Qianlong era to around the Xinhai Revolution, 1796-1911): Originally known as "Huangmei Tune" or "Tea-picking Opera," it was a form of folk opera that emerged in the late 18th century in the border regions of Anhui, Hubei, and Jiangxi provinces. One branch gradually moved east to the Anqing area with Huaining County as its center, becoming known as "Huai Tune" (怀腔) or "Huai Diao" (怀调), which is the predecessor of today's Huangmei Opera. From its origin to development, Huangmei Opera went through four historical stages: solo performance, "three-small plays" (三小戏, featuring only small roles), "three-seven performances" (三打七唱), and orchestral accompaniment. The first three stages were completed in Huangmei County, providing the necessary conditions for the final formation of Huangmei Opera as a major operatic form.

2. Middle Stage (from the Xinhai Revolution to 1949): During this period, Huangmei Opera gradually became professionalized, moving from rural stages to urban theaters. After entering cities, it performed alongside Beijing Opera and was influenced by Yue Opera, Yang Opera, Huai Opera, and Ping Opera (then called "Beng Beng Xi"). This brought significant changes to both content and form. New plays were adapted and transplanted, including continuous serial plays like "Wen Suchen," "Hong Bi Yuan," "Hua Li Yuan," and "Feng Mi Ji." Musically, traditional singing styles were reformed by reducing meaningless filler words in old tunes, making them more brisk and accessible to audiences. Accompaniment began using the erhu (胡琴, a two-stringed fiddle) instead of the traditional chorus support. In terms of performance, it absorbed and integrated the stylized movements of Beijing Opera and other related operatic forms, enriching its expressive means. Costumes, makeup, and stage settings also saw development compared to rural performances.

3. Modern Stage (1949-present): After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Huangmei Opera experienced rapid recovery and development. In 1952, the Anhui Temporary Huangmei Tune Opera Troupe performed at the East China Grand Theater, and advertisements referred to it as "Huangmei Opera." In 1953, Guilin Qi established the Anhui Huangmei Opera Troupe, choosing the name "Huangmei Opera" which was more renowned in the opera community than "Huangmei Tune." This became the official name for the opera form, and China's first Huangmei Opera troupe was established in Hefei, Anhui. Professional troupes were subsequently established in thirteen counties of the Anqing area.

In 1954, Huangmei Opera's "The Heavenly Match" (天仙配) participated in the East China Opera Observation Performance and was a great success. The play was later adapted into a film twice, causing a sensation both domestically and internationally. Excellent new and adapted works such as "The Female Princess's Husband" (女驸马), "Sha Zi Gang," and "Burning Zi Yun Pavilion" were successively staged. During this period, Huangmei Opera also influenced many other provinces, with troupes established in Hubei, Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jilin, and Tibet. Hong Kong and Macau also saw performances of Huangmei Opera in both Mandarin and Cantonese. In terms of performing arts, new developments in character portrayal emerged through staging new plays and filming, incorporating elements from spoken drama and film.

Stage of Development

The performance activities of Huangmei Opera can be roughly divided into four stages from amateur to professional:

1. Individual Performers Without Troupes: In this early period, Huangmei Opera was performed using folk songs and tea songs combined with folk dances like drought boats and dragon boats during temple fairs or festivals. Performers were organized by one person who brought volunteers together. They performed in their spare time and disbanded afterward, re-forming for the next performance with different personnel. These performances were purely for entertainment and social enjoyment, not as a means of livelihood.

2. Relatively Fixed Amateur or Semi-Professional Troupes: As performances developed from simple folk songs to plays with basic plots (two-small plays and three-small plays), performers could no longer be so casual. With the need for rehearsal, costumes, props, and other theatrical requirements, amateur time became insufficient. Moreover, these performances might become performers' full-time or part-time occupation, leading them to form groups naturally. This created early relatively fixed Huangmei Opera troupes. These troupes were sometimes short-term or seasonal, basically amateur or semi-professional. Most had no fixed venues, with loose internal structures and no strict discipline. Personnel came and went freely. Since the performance content was limited and characters few, only two or three two-small plays (small male lead, small female lead) and three-small plays (small male lead, small female lead, small clown), the troupes were small, with seven or eight people sufficient. As the saying went, "Seven are busy, eight are not," meaning seven people made the troupe busy, while eight made it less so.

3. Rapid Development of Troupes, Becoming Regular and Fixed: By the late Qing and early Republican era, Huangmei Opera had developed into a relatively complete and mature operatic form. In addition to two-small and three-small plays, it absorbed large-scale plays from Qingyang Tune and Chu Opera. Performing large plays required relatively stable troupes with the capability to perform them. Consequently, fixed professional troupes emerged. To make a living and ensure income, these professional troupes needed to constantly renew their repertoire and maintain performance quality. Personnel increased, roles became more complete, and stage arts (costumes, curtains, props, weapons) developed. The troupes became less loose, with organizers and专职 personnel responsible for connecting performances and managing daily life. Their mobility also increased (so-called "running docks"). Such professional troupes may have appeared as early as the Xianfeng era (1851-1861) of the Qing Dynasty. For example, on the winter solstice of 1857, Qing generals Duolunga and Bao Chao performed "flower drum opera" (a term for Huangmei Opera) at a theater in Susong County. This suggests that they may have watched a fixed professional troupe with good quality performances that had already entered theaters.

4. From Professional Troupes to Government-Managed Troupes: After Huangmei Opera entered cities in 1932, over the next 20 years before the founding of the People's Republic, troupes operated in Anqing (then the capital of Anhui Province) and surrounding counties as well as towns south of the Yangtze River like Tongling, Qingyang, and Guichi. After 1949, the People's Republic's cultural administration departments reorganized artists through study and training, placing them under government leadership for better learning and performance. In Anqing, for example, Ding Liuoliu (Ding Yongquan) and his children Ding Zicheng and Ding Cuixia, along with Pan Zehai and his daughter Pan Wangjingli, and later Wang Shaofang and his siblings from Beijing Opera circles, formed the "Minzhong Theater" (actually the Minzhong Troupe). Soon after, Yan Fengying returned to Anqing and joined the "Qunle Theater" (later renamed "Shengli Theater" and moved to Qianpai Lou). Similarly, Guin Chunbai and Guin Yue'e's "123 Troupe" in Tongling was renamed "Tongling Ximin Troupe" by the government. Around this time, professional troupes were formed in counties under Anqing's jurisdiction and counties south of the Yangtze River by combining mobile professional troupes and individual artists. This reorganization and rebuilding of performance troupes stabilized the previously highly mobile "running docks" situation, with activities and performances basically confined to one county and often held in fixed theaters. Performance conditions greatly improved, moving away from "grass stages" and "ground performances." Most importantly, with government leadership and support, they could manage themselves with guaranteed economic income.

Key Information

Cultural Significance

Huangmei Opera holds significant cultural importance in China, particularly in Anhui and Hubei provinces. In 1955, the film adaptation of "The Heavenly Match" directed by Shi Hui and starring Yan Fengying and Wang Shaofang caused a sensation both domestically and internationally. This led to a period where numerous "Huangmei Tune" films appeared in Hong Kong and Taiwan cinemas, particularly those produced by Shaw Brothers Studio under director Li Hanxiang. Representative works included "Diaochan," "Jiangshan Meiren," "Fenghuan Chao," "Yang Naiwu and Xiao Baicai," and "Yutangchun." These "Huangmei Tune" films greatly promoted the spread of Huangmei Opera in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and overseas.

In 1995, Huangmei County was named the "Hometown of Huangmei Opera" by the Hubei Provincial Department of Culture and later awarded the national title "Hometown of Huangmei Opera" by the Ministry of Culture. From 2008 to 2023, Huangmei County was consecutively selected as "China's Folk Culture and Art Hometown" for five terms. In 2014, Huaining County was also selected for this honor. In September 2021, Shipai Town in Huaining County and Gaoshi Town in Wangjiang County of Anqing were named "Anhui Folk Culture and Art Hometown" (art form: Huangmei Opera) by the Anhui Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

Modern Status

In recent years, like other traditional operatic forms, Huangmei Opera has faced severe challenges. In this context, Huangmei Opera artists have attempted reforms and innovations while inheriting traditions. The new Huangmei Opera "Huizhou Woman" (徽州女人) pioneered and represented these efforts. Created by the Anqing Huangmei Opera Second Troupe, starring renowned artists Han Zaifen and Huang Xinde, with screenwriters Chen Xinyi and Liu Yuncheng, and directors Chen Xinyi and Cao Qijing, the play debuted in Hefei in June 1999. It was an early attempt at innovation in traditional local opera, predating the famous "Youth Version" of "The Peony Pavilion." Compared to traditional Huangmei Opera, this work showed significant innovation. It toured extensively and participated in the "2008 Beijing Olympic Major Cultural Activities" series, receiving enthusiastic responses and reviews. Subsequently, other new Huangmei Operas were created, such as "Thunderstorm," "Six-Foot Alley," and "Peacock Flying Southeast."

In 2012, Wu Qiong, one of the representatives of Huangmei Opera, served as producer and artistic director for the Huangmei musical "The Returned Lady" (贵妇还乡) at the Poly Theater in Beijing. Adapted from Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt's famous play "The Visit," this Huangmei musical pioneered a new artistic form of integrating traditional Chinese art with Western musical theater, sounding the horn for the "era battle" of traditional operas like Huangmei Opera.

References

1. Zhou, Y. (1980). A History of Chinese Opera. Beijing: China Publishing Group.

2. Jiang, Y., & Hu, X. (2005). Huangmei Opera: Art and History. Hefei: Anhui Arts Publishing House.

3. China Arts and Literature Publishing House. (1981). Dictionary of Chinese Opera and Folk Art. Beijing: China Arts and Literature Publishing House.

4. Chen, G. (2010). The Development and Evolution of Chinese Regional Operas. Beijing: China Book Company.