Attraction introduction
Quanzhou Marionette Show is located in Wudianshi, an AAAA-level Attraction. Wudianshi has a thousand-year history and is the origin of Jinjiang City. The red brick buildings with southern Fujian characteristics span the Ming, Qing and Republic of China periods. Wudianshi has produced 11 champions in history. During the Wanli period, Zhuang Jichang was the champion of the same subject as Yuan Chonghuan. The champion Wang Zeng, a descendant of the King of Fujian who lived in Quanzhou for generations, won three consecutive championships (first place in the first, provincial and palace examinations). It has also produced more than 1,400 Jinshi scholars, making it an outstanding representative of southern Fujian's humanities, history, art, architecture and customs.
As the treasure of southern Fujian art, puppetry has not only become an indispensable part of the folk customs of Quanzhou and the entire southern Fujian region for thousands of years, but also has become a popular opera art that is appreciated by the general public and even scholars and literati with its unique skills and wonderful performances.
Introduction to Jinjiang Puppet Show
Jinjiang Hand Puppet Show (Jinjiang Glove Puppet Show), a local traditional drama in Jinjiang City, Fujian Province, is one of the national intangible cultural heritages.
Jinjiang Puppet Show (Jinjiang Puppet Show) is also known as Southern Puppet Show, which refers to the puppet show in Quanzhou. It is performed in Quanzhou dialect, which is different from the Northern Puppet Show in Zhangzhou, which is performed in northern dialect. Southern Puppet Show is popular in southern Fujian, and its origin can be traced back to historical materials of the Jin Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, and the Southern Song Dynasty. From the middle of the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was the period of the rise and development of Southern Puppet Show. According to folk legends and the "Taiwan General History", puppet show emerged during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, and its founder was Liang Binglin, who was later known as the "number one scholar in drama". In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, puppet show performances in Jinjiang and other places flourished and spread to Taiwan. At the same time, artists such as Li Kecha appeared. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, some puppet show troupes in various counties of Quanzhou rose one after another, such as the "Five Tigers" in southern Fujian during the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty. During the Republic of China period, puppet show troupes in Anxi, Hui'an and other places were almost all over the county. Jinjiang glove puppetry has a unique artistic style, with detailed division of roles, puppet head carvings that capture both form and spirit, and delicate performances and lifelike movements.
On October 31, 2005, Jinjiang Hand Puppet Show (Quanzhou Southern Style Puppet Show, Jinjiang Puppet Show) was selected into the first batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage list in Fujian Province.
On May 20, 2006, Jinjiang Hand Puppet Show (Quanzhou Southern Puppet Show, Jinjiang Puppet Show) was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list, with the heritage number Ⅳ-92.
In December 2012, the "Fujian Puppet Show Talent Training Program", including the Jinjiang Palm Puppet Show, was successfully selected into the List of Outstanding Practices of the World's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
History of Jinjiang Puppet Show (Jinjiang Glove Puppet Show)
Historical Origins
Jinjiang glove puppetry is the southern style glove puppetry in Quanzhou and the palm puppetry. It is called Nanguan glove puppetry in Taiwan, China. It is sung in Quanzhou dialect, which is different from the northern style glove puppetry in Zhangzhou (called Baizi glove puppetry in Taiwan). In July 1951, the southern style glove puppetry was named palm puppetry, which is a rare type of Chinese puppetry.
Jinjiang glove puppetry (Southern style glove puppetry) is popular in southern Fujian. Its origins can be traced back to historical records in the Jin Dynasty's "Shiyi Ji", the Five Dynasties' "Hua Shu", and the Southern Song Dynasty's "Si Mo Yuan Ri".
From the middle of Ming Dynasty to the end of Qing Dynasty, it was the period of rise and development of southern glove puppetry. According to folk legends and the "Taiwan General History", glove puppetry emerged during the Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty (1522-1566), and its founder was Liang Binglin, who was later known as the "number one scholar in drama". In the "Customs Records" of Volume 72 of the "Jinjiang County Records" in the Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty (1830), it is recorded that "wooden puppetry, commonly known as puppetry, has recently been replaced by hand-held tricks, commonly known as glove puppetry." This shows that glove puppetry performances were popular in the southern part of Quanzhou at that time. During the Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty, glove puppetry performances in various counties of Quanzhou were already quite popular and spread across the sea to Taiwan.
In the late Qing Dynasty, puppetry performances in Jinjiang and other places were very active, and many artists emerged, such as Li Kecha and Tong Ansuo. In the late Qing Dynasty, Li Kecha founded the "Jin Yongcheng" puppetry troupe (the predecessor of the Jinjiang Panjing Puppetry Troupe established in 1953, and renamed the Jinjiang County Puppetry Troupe in 1978, namely the Jinjiang City Puppetry Troupe). The book "Chinese Puppet Art" records the historical fact that "in the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Taiwanese puppetry was passed down from Quanzhou, Fujian."
In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, a number of puppet theater troupes emerged in various counties under Quanzhou, such as the "Five Tigers Troupe" in southern Fujian during the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods of the Qing Dynasty.
During the Republic of China period, puppet troupes in Anxi, Hui'an and other places were almost everywhere in the county. But on the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, due to the economic recession, puppet troupes in the counties of Quanzhou were in a difficult situation.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Jinjiang glove puppetry gained new life and a public troupe was established. Jinjiang and other counties also organized the excavation and recording of more than 200 glove puppetry repertoires and music tunes, so that the traditional cultural heritage of Jinjiang glove puppetry has received necessary protection.
Cultural characteristics
Jinjiang glove puppetry has a detailed division of roles, and the puppet head carvings are both realistic and realistic. There are strict normative requirements for performing arts. For example, the basic movements of the Sheng role are 24 steps, and the basic fingering of the role is 40 steps. For the same fan, the Sheng role has 11 steps of jade bone fan, and the clown role has 21 steps of drum fan. A sewing program has to do with cutting clothes, pulling needles, inserting needles in front of the lapel, and pulling threads. Biting the thread, rubbing the thread tail to the tip. There are 11 movements such as threading the needle, tying knots, playing the thread with the teeth, sliding the thread on the hair, and sewing and pulling threads: performing repairing books and stamping. Starting from taking the seal, then looking at the seal, removing the seal dirt, stamping the seal oil, calling the seal, stamping, and finally stacking the hands to stamp, meticulous and meticulous. The performance is delicate and realistic, the movements are accurate and vivid, and they are particularly good at performing lyrical literary dramas. The performance of glove puppets is good at imitating stunts such as drinking, spitting water, smoking, and breathing fire, which are highly appreciated. The language is colloquial, especially the clown's gags and verbal exchanges, which are humorous, lively and reasonable.
After a long period of practice and development, Jinjiang glove puppetry has the characteristics of inclusiveness and absorbing the best of many schools. It has obvious regional cultural characteristics, rich artistic accumulation, beautiful images, beautiful languages, and beautiful music. From it, one can appreciate the charm of Quannan glove puppetry's puppet carving art, performing art, language art, and singing art.
Repertoire classification
Jinjiang puppetry repertoires can be divided into two categories: traditional repertoires and newly-written repertoires. Traditional repertoires are further divided into male and female roles, palace plays, trial plays, martial arts plays, boxing plays, continuous plays, excerpts and small (single) plays. Newly-written repertoires include fairy tales, mythological plays, modern plays and idiom story plays. A large number of traditional repertoires of string puppetry and Liyuan opera are absorbed. The music and singing are mainly based on Minnan puppet tunes, and some tunes of Liyuan opera and Nanyin are absorbed. The plot is tortuous, the dialogue is elegant, the singing is graceful, and the artistic style is unique.
Inheritance protection
Heritage value: Jinjiang glove puppet show is one of the rare types of Chinese puppet shows, with distinct local characteristics and important historical and cultural research value.
Inheritance status: Jinjiang glove puppetry is characterized by eclecticism and the strengths of many cultures, and has distinct regional cultural characteristics. However, due to the impact of the commodity economy since the 1990s, this traditional art form has been continuously impacted. If it is not protected, it will face the crisis of extinction.
