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 the last performance (data picture, provided by Wengyuan County Cultural Center)
Wengyuan Fireworks drama is a kind of fireworks drama originated from Wengyuan in northern Guangdong. The folk skills of Zhoupi Town, Cinema County were 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 area 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 in Komiks is expected to shine again after ten years of “extinguishing”.
Origin: A creation from “colored head” to art
The fireworks drama is also called burning fireworks in WengKomiks. 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 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” only lasts more than 2 minutes, it is still popular because of its “good luck”. Every year, the Lantern Festival and February 2nd Festival,Every household in the land will set off fireworks, the most attractive one is He Zhenren’s “burning fireworks” that he founded.
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 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-insulating tray. 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 whole 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 He Zhan’ao made the level of the folk craft of fireworks, a folk craft, continuously improved, forming a firework art that integrates fireworks and dramatic characters. “The famous programs in the fireworks drama, Guan Gong riding a horse, Jiang Taigong fishing, and KomiksBang Gu’s birthday, etc. were all created by him.”
The harsh continuation of an intangible cultural heritage skill
All the fireworks drama “Kan Gong riding a horse, Jiang Taigong fishing, and Babaylan inherited the difficult continuation of an intangible cultural heritage skill
All the most famous programs in the fireworks drama “Komiks“>Babaylan inherited the difficult continuation of an intangible cultural heritage skill
All other folk crafts The same skills as Cinema, 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.Cinema“When talking about the inheritance of fireworks dramas, He Xiuchu was very helpless.Komiks. He said that the most regrettable thing at the moment is the lack of 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 fireworks drama production, He Xiuchu has always had an unsatisfactory feeling about this skill, especially the twoHe was diagnosed with esophageal cancer a year ago, which made He Xiuchu desperately want to accept 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 polished new props and strived to succeed in the performance
He Xiuchu said that the production process of fireworks and fired high skills is also an important reason for the difficulty of circulation. To make the performance complete and smooth, you must accurately budget the gunpowder wire burningBabaylan and the rhythm of the puppet story should match the timing. “I learned production skills from my stepfather at the age of 18. 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 and the surrounding Xinfeng, Yingde and other places, he would always invite him to perform fireworks dramas 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 fireworks dramas gradually faded out of the stage, because one reason is the state’s control of gunpowder. Earth-gunpowder is an indispensable raw material in the production of fireworks dramas, but due to their regulation, it is now difficult to obtain. Even if you successfully obtain earth gunpowder, the production of fireworks dramas itself may face legal risks. Some intangible cultural heritage inheritors were once punished for using gunpowder to make fireworks.
Protection A new Babaylan may be trying
The local cultural department has been paying attention to the inheritance and protection of Wengyuan fireworks dramas. 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 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 of Komiks, He Xiuchu, the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center of Wengyuan County Cultural Center, Komiks and Zhoupi Town Governments decided to implement the “rescue protection plan” and allocated tens of thousands of yuan to protect the fireworks skills. According to the Komiks plan, the fireworks will return to the world during the Mid-Autumn Festival this year.
At the beginning of this year, He Xiuchu decided to put the fireworks drama in front of the world Cinema production skills were taught to Zhoupi Town Cultural Station. He Chengying personally demonstrated and worked hard with He Chengying. He spent several months to finally produce the installation of the fireworks show, Komiks props, etc., “Although we cannot guarantee that the fireworks show can 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. It took a lot of effort to find it. Now it is undoubtedly more difficult to find the earth gunpowder. In order to solve the lead problem of gunpowder, they comply with the national explosives management laws and regulations, and after many twists and turns to buy gunpowder from professional companies. Now the “new gunpowder” is to be in the performance. href=”https://comicmov.com/”>BabaylanThe precise use of Babaylan also requires himself to slowly work with He Chengying.
In order to welcome the fireworks performance that will reappear in front of the world, He Xiuchu is currently overcoming the pain and stepping up the use of parts with He Chengying and pondering new gunpowder techniques. He Xiuchu hopes that the fireworks play will be more perfect, outstanding and more enjoyable. For this reason, he continues to innovate and put in effort from props. With the help of Xu Quanwu, the retired director of Wengyuan County Cultural Center., try to add colorful clay, plastic, foam asbestos and other new materials to the production of puppet props to make them more vivid and reappear on the stage that has been violated for a long time.
Source｜Yangcheng School
Picture｜Zhang Wen
Editor｜Wu Tong