Baxian Opera is a traditional folk opera with a history stretching back more than 300 years that originated and remains particularly popular in Wulukou village in Huangcheng town – located in the Linzi district of Zibo city, in East China's Shandong province.
Baxian Opera has long been lauded as the unique calling card of Linzi district. As an ancient and rare form of opera in China, it has been officially recognized – having been placed on the list of provincial intangible cultural heritage of Shandong province.
It is understood that Wulukou village was an important distribution center for lamb, fur and other products during the reign of the Hongzhi Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
In addition, it was also the place where artists from all walks of life gathered and performed. The opera, it is said, developed from local street stall performances.
The opera has something in common with yugu – a type of opera accompanied by the beating of fishing drums – and it has also absorbed the essence of other operas and local folk art.
It has imitated the makeup and clothing of Peking Opera and except for seven classic plays such as Going to the Banquet, it has produced 13 plays after it spread in the Linzi district.
The instruments used in Baxian Opera are the flute, the Chinese mouth organ called the sheng, the xiao – a vertical Chinese end-blown flute – and the suona, a Chinese double-reed horn.
The opera reflects upon the lives and fortunes of grassroots people, making it a direct reference for the academic study of Qilu regional culture.
A colorful scene from one of the Baxian operas, Gao Lao Zhuang. [Photo/WeChat account: zibowenhualvyou]
