Xiushan lantern is an important genre in lantern art in the southwest of China. It is a folk cultural phenomenon and folk performing arts integrating religion, folk customs, song and dance, acrobatics and paper tie art. It is also a precious national folk music and cultural heritage of our country.


Xiushan lantern in Chongqing Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County lantern art is the most representative and named, also known as jumping lantern, playing lantern, lantern opera, is an ancient art of folk song and dance rap, throughout the county villages, towns, including Especially in the pass, the stream, Lan Bridge, Ping Kai, Ying Feng, Chung hole, ocean, melting Creek, Aibin, Yuping and other places for the peak.
On May 20, 2006, "Xiushan Lantern" declared by Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County of Chongqing was included in the first list of state-level intangible cultural heritages upon approval by the State Council.
First, the artistic characteristics
Arranger
The original show is a heavy song and dance of the lanterns, followed by opera and other dramas, lantern opera artists in the plot to improve the performance of more complex twists and turns, but also to absorb the relevant melody to change, expand and refurbish, and created a new tune Lantern Festival . The new light tune with tune connection arranger, with certain characteristics of the board cavity music, suitable for performing traditional drama. In addition, there are various folk songs in the melody of Xiushan Lantern Festival, which plays an important role in the whole drama.
Rhythm
Lantern Festival performance is very focused on the dance, Lantern dance basic characteristics of the movement is "Wei", there is "no Wei not light" argument. Viewers see the Lantern Festival is to see whether the "Wei Mission", that is, waist, hip twisting amplitude is large, whether flexible coordination, physical posture. The most important point is that the body is in a natural state, the foot is not stretched and the hook is lifted. Naturally, the posture of the hand should be swung naturally as the wicker is floating.
Wei step is the lantern "dance" basis. "Wei", the waist, hip twisting to the left and right knee flexion, hip twisting to be larger. In addition to this "Wei-step" and "wait for a step," Zheng Wei "," anti-Wei "," trample step "," diagonal fan to send "," snail turn back "and other Wei step action. Dynamic and to highlight some of the lanterns of the "Wei-step" often corresponds with a certain character, such as "Zheng Wei" simple and generous, "female anti-Wei" lyric leisurely; "anti-Wei" arrogance upright; The "little anti-Wei" male lively, "trample step" flexible stretch. "Little Wei" relaxed and lively, "big step" and so spicy.
Lantern in the "Wei step", the dance figure is also unique, including "step" and "jump." "Step" has "Weiyeye turn", "cover fan anti-flowering", "Snow capped turn", "holding a small fish", "Rock Eagle wings", "duck dipper" and so on; "There are" cross jump "," side pedal jump "," toad jump "," kick after step jump "," jump step "," carp cross the river "," Oolong stretching legs "and so on.

music
Xiushan lantern song melody beautiful, fast-paced, unique style and popular, widely circulated. Well-known song lantern "Boxwood pole", "a rapeseed", etc., boarded the country's elegant hall, renowned at home and abroad.
Xiushan lantern music, in addition to the music composition, but also incorporates the local folk songs, folk songs, minor, drama and other useful components, forming a local ethnic style, style of music, melodic, novel transfer, structural specifications, rhythm Distinct, full of dance, gives a humorous, happy joy.

form
The long-term development and evolution of Xiushan lantern performance forms are: lantern duo turn (two performances of single lantern), double lantern (four performances of double lantern), lantern group dance (multi-performance show lantern), Lantern Festival Drama) and so on.
In the performance, the song sung by the actor is called lantern. Lantern words rich rustic flavor, content, expression plots, express emotion, to attract the audience. Among them, some lanterns absorb some folk minorities in the Han nationality to have tea opera, flower drums and other landlord opera original lyrics.
In addition to the lantern show, the performance is only once ugly two roles, Danjiao called Yaomei Zi, Harlequin called Laihua Zi or other name. When jumping, Yaomeizi head comb long identification, wearing a large skirt Luo skirt, right hand silk flower folding fan, the left hand took the flower color towel, straight waist, marching Tintin step, singing and dancing, performing naive, witty, pungent role. Hanako then put the headscarf into a "half moon", wearing a cardigan, waist red ribbon, hand holding a large Pushan, stepping on a pile of short steps, with the "wind and Liu" action around Yaomeizizhuan, performing funny , Witty character, lyric verse flexible, can be long or short, either long singing, under the stage to help the actors and the audience communicate with each other, integration.

Two lanterns turn
This is the main show of Xiushan lantern. From the standpoint of Yaomei Zi and Lai Huazi in the performance, it is different from the popular "duotai" in other parts of the country but with the characteristic of " Is a man around the woman's turn, ugly turn around the United States, short turn around high. Female, beautiful, high in the center, with "feet stand back and body", retain the obvious characteristics of the original female worship.

Double lantern
That is, two men and two women (two ugly two Dan) singing and dancing at the same time. Mainly used to show lively, festive and other larger scenes, such as "double plucking tea", "red light", "downtown" and so on, is the form of double lanterns to perform. In some places, performances such as "Hana Hanakazu" and "Kouzanko" have been added to the performance and the art of folk acrobatics has been added to create a warm atmosphere and fun.
Lantern dance group
Is from the "lantern duo turn" development and the formation. Is the crystallization of hardworking and professional exploration by professional artists in the past 30 years, a form of performance favored by the people and a performance art most closely linked to the new era. Its performance is performed by a larger lantern song and dance performed by two women, two men, four women and four men, and more women and more men. The performances should have a professional stage.
Lantern Festival
Xiushan folk tradition of Lantern Festival, also known as "unilateral drama", also known as "lantern song and dance", "Lantern Festival." Generally no scenery, the actors dress is simple, the plot is simple, short performance time. Life, Dan, Ugliness three kinds of content, content and more to show folk life and myths and legends mainly.

Second, the main repertoire
Xiushan lanterns are mainly distributed in the vicinity of Lanqiao, Rongxi and Aicu in Xiushan. The main repertoires are: "Shepherd boy see the cow", "Look at the cow chess", "Three daughter in law", "Cooper", "Little daughter "" Flower arrangement "," cousin disc "," flower arrangement of the old man "," three bowl rice dish flower "," Hanako drunk "," "Under Nanjing", "Flower", "Five glasses of wine", "Three bowls of rice", "Samsung to send children", "the same year the sister fight color", "trouble Jiangzhou", "Chen Gu catch Pan" Four Seasons King "," Wan Hua Chi "," Bao Er sister "," tailor steal cloth "," Liu Bei brother chess "," life-saving fishing "," Wang aunt fill tank " Ann send rice "," send the newspaper "," downtown five more "and more than 30 fold. Most of these small shows reflect the daily work of the masses of people, love and common people. They are lively and relaxing with witty humor. Their content is rich in local flavor. Although the contents are monotonous and superficial, they are loved by ordinary people.


Third, the value of heritage
In a long performance, Xiushan lantern formed a dance, singing, dramatic, analogy, nationality, regional, procedural, mass and other characteristics, loved by the general public. Saving and protecting Xiushan lantern has important practical value and academic value for enriching people's cultural life and promoting Tujia folk music and dance art and its history.