The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.
Opera Trivia | How many regional opera genres are still performed in China today?
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2022-12-30
(Still from a performance by the Fuzhou Municipal Center for Cultural and Artistic Development)
According to surveys conducted in the late 1950s, there were a total of… among the various local and ethnic opera genres nationwide. 368 pieces In other words, even if you were to watch one traditional opera genre each day, it would still take you more than a year to see them all. However, as of August 31, 2015, 19 genres had already disappeared, while one had been revived. At present, only 348 theatrical genres remain nationwide. 。 There are 48 theatrical genres distributed across two or more provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities (inclusive), while 300 genres are confined to a single province, autonomous region, or municipality. Among them, Shanxi leads with 38, followed by Hebei with 36 and Anhui with 31. In addition, Beijing has 8, Tianjin 5, Shandong 28, Henan 25, and Hubei 26. 26 in Jiangxi Fujian: 23; Hunan: 20; Jiangsu: 20; Zhejiang: 16; Guangdong: 16; Guangxi: 21; Inner Mongolia: 14; Liaoning: 6; Jilin: 8; Heilongjiang: 5; Shanghai: 9; Hainan: 3; Chongqing: 6; Sichuan: 11; Guizhou: 10; Yunnan: 18; Tibet: 6; Shaanxi: 26; Gansu: 13; Qinghai: 7; Ningxia: 7; Xinjiang: 6; Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps: 2.
This census was conducted with the “Chinese Opera Gazetteer” and the “Compendium of Chinese Opera Music” as its primary reference frameworks, using the “Standards for Identifying Chinese Opera Genres” published by the Chinese National Academy of Arts as the basis for genre classification, and the National Bureau of Statistics’ “National Cultural and Heritage Statistical Reporting System” as the statistical foundation, resulting in the design of a comprehensive census data form.
Nineteen theatrical genres had already disappeared by the last century.
Compared with the “Chinese Opera Gazetteer,” 60 opera genres were not included in the roster of this census. Among them are 19 genres that had already disappeared before the compilation of the “Chinese Opera Gazetteer” in the 1980s and 1990s, yet were nevertheless recorded in that work; and 24 genres that have no performing troupes, no performers, or only a handful of individual artists, and which lack both transmission and any performance activity.
17 theatrical genres that have no performing troupes, with only a handful of artists remaining; they are passed down through tradition and occasionally stage performances, yet have not entirely disappeared.
Among them, some theatrical genres have been extinct for anywhere from several decades to over a century, including Huaihong Opera, Dingdingqiang, Tianjin Quyi Opera, Wenming Opera, Southern Opera, Zhuchun, Qingxi, Kunyi, Manchu Bajiaogu Opera, Shaanxi Saixi, Minnan Siping Opera, Yanbei Xianziqiang, Wanrong Qingxi, Yicheng Mulián Opera, and others.
One theatrical genre has been revived.
Compared with the “Chinese Opera Gazetteer,” 17 opera genres have been added to this census roster, among which “Hama Weng” was once popular but later declined before being revived.
Public records indicate that Hamaweng is a minor opera genre originating in Nanyang, Henan Province. The art form dates back to 1877 (the third year of the Qing Guangxu era). Its musical repertoire comprises two main components: vocal melodies and instrumental tunes, organized in a suite‑style structure that adapts to the lyrical format and the specific narrative context of each piece.
In addition, the newly added theatrical genres include those previously omitted from statistical records, those that have branched off from existing genres, and those that have evolved through the fusion of multiple smaller forms.
Among them, some theatrical genres have been extinct for anywhere from several decades to over a century, including Huaihong Opera, Dingdingqiang, Tianjin Quyi Opera, Wenming Opera, Southern Opera, Zhuchun, Qingxi, Kunyi, Manchu Bajiaogu Opera, Shaanxi Saixi, Minnan Siping Opera, Yanbei Xianziqiang, Wanrong Qingxi, Yicheng Mulián Opera, and others.
One theatrical genre has been revived.
Compared with the “Chinese Opera Gazetteer,” 17 opera genres have been added to this census roster, among which “Hama Weng” was once popular but later declined before being revived.
Public records indicate that Hamaweng is a minor opera genre originating in Nanyang, Henan Province. The art form dates back to 1877 (the third year of the Qing Guangxu era). Its musical repertoire comprises two main components: vocal melodies and instrumental tunes, organized in a suite‑style structure that adapts to the lyrical format and the specific narrative context of each piece.
In addition, the newly added theatrical genres include those previously omitted from statistical records, those that have branched off from existing genres, and those that have evolved through the fusion of multiple smaller forms.
Reference source: Kunqu Opera Culture. Submissions welcome: 363036353@qq.com.
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