Several titles of Jiangxi tea-picking opera

Jiangxi tea-picking drama is the general name of folk song and dance dramas such as tea-picking and lanterns in Jiangxi. Tea-picking songs were first sung by tea farmers when picking tea, and then combined with folk dances to form tea-picking lamps with singing and dancing. During the Lantern Festival or tea harvest season, tea farmers often improvise tea-picking programs in this form. Because tea baskets are used as props, they are also called "tea basket lanterns". Later, the content, aria and performance forms were constantly enriched, and gradually developed into a tea-picking drama active in the vast rural areas. Tea-picking drama first appeared in Jiulongshan tea area in Anyuan County, southern Jiangxi Province, and then spread to Qianshan County, eastern Jiangxi Province, and soon spread throughout the province, and absorbed the repertoires and voices of local folk arts and local operas respectively, and evolved into tea-picking dramas with their own characteristics. The early tea-picking drama was mainly a life drama, with only three feet, so it was also called "three-legged class"

Jiangxi tea-picking operas can be roughly divided into the following five categories according to their characteristics and different popular areas: Gannan tea-picking operas were first formed in Gannan, and were popular in Gannan and northern Guangdong in the middle of Qing Dynasty. Good at performing light and lively comedies. In performances, Ugly Feet often imitate the movements of monkeys, cats, birds and other animals. The ugly "short step" and Dan's "fan flower" have their own characteristics. Singing is divided into four categories: light cavity, tea cavity, road cavity and miscellaneous cavity, with tea cavity as the main part and strings as the accompaniment. Most of the plays are folk life dramas co-performed by Ugly Dan, such as digging bamboo shoots, picking snails and playing dragons skillfully. After the completion, Tea Picking Songs and Sisters were more influential, and Tea Boy Playmaster and modern drama How to Talk About Not Approaching were made into movies. There are mainly Pingxiang Tea Picking Opera and Wanzai Lantern Opera in western Jiangxi. Popular in Yongxin, Ninggang, Lianhua, Pingxiang, Wanzai and other places, it evolved from the inflow of tea-picking dramas in southern Jiangxi. Qing Daoguang was popular in the border area between Jiangxi and Hunan, and was greatly influenced by Hunan Huagu Opera in the later period. There are erhu, flute, suona and other accompaniment instruments The main tunes are divided into four categories: Hua Gutiao, Geqiang and folk songs. Traditional games include flying kites and selling groceries. Wu Yanhua, a folk drama, and Red on the Border, a modern drama, have great influence. In the late stage of Wanzai Lantern Festival, Gao 'an tea-picking drama had a great influence.

Tea-picking operas in northeast Jiangxi are divided into East Jiangxi and Jingdezhen. Tea-picking drama in eastern Jiangxi originated from the tea lantern drama in Qianshan County, and was popular in Qianshan, Shangrao, Guixi, Yiyang and other places. Influenced by Huangmei tea-picking drama, the "three-legged class", which started with "two Dan and one ugly", added old students, Lao Dan and Hualien, plus three percussionists, and was called the "half class" of "seven singing and three beating". Men's feet are good at fan skills and Dan's feet are good at handkerchief skills. Tunes are divided into "triangle minor" and "Huguang tune". In the early stage, only gongs and drums were used as accompaniment, and dry singing was accompanied by voices. Now there is an orchestral accompaniment. The main plays include The Threat of Three Dwarfs, Three Sisters Watching Lights, Making Rice, The Story of Ying Ge, The Torture of Hongmei, etc. Jingdezhen tea-picking drama evolved from Hubei Huangmei tea-picking drama, which is popular in Jingdezhen, Boyang and Duchang. The repertoire and singing are similar to Huangmei tea-picking opera, and the performance is influenced by Raohe opera.

There are tea-picking operas in Nanchang, Wuning and Jiujiang in northern Jiangxi. Nanchang tea-picking opera was popular in Nanchang, Xinjian and Anyi counties, and entered Nanchang from 65438 to 0927. Its tunes are divided into two categories: original tune and miscellaneous tune, which developed from Xiahe tune. Miscellaneous tune includes tea lamp tune and special tune for small play. There are 48 traditional plays, including "Four Stories" (pumpkin story, investigation story, family story, story, etc. Wuning tea-picking drama is popular in Wuning, Xiushui, Tonggu and Jing 'an. During the light years of the Qing Dynasty, the whole drama has been performed, such as Lost Printing, The Book of Jackets, Wen Wukui and other 50 Yu Ben. Music tunes include Zheng Qiang (including Beiqiang, Han Qiang, Sigh and Siping), coloratura and miscellaneous tunes. The repertoire and singing are also close to Huangmei tea-picking drama. Jiujiang tea-picking opera is popular in Ruichang, Dean, Jiujiang and Hukou. The play is said to be "thirty-six big books and seventy-two small books". Singing can be divided into four categories: Pingqiang, Huaqiang, Han Qiang and Miscellaneous, which are close to Huangmei tea-picking drama.

There are many tea-picking operas in central Jiangxi, such as Fuzhou, Ji 'an, Ningdu and Gao 'an. Fuzhou tea-picking opera originated from Sanjiao class in Yihuang county, and was influenced by Huangmei tea-picking opera, Yihuang opera and puppet show. Popular in Linchuan, Chongren, Yihuang, Le 'an and other places. The main vocals are "Ben Diao" developed from "Fengxian Sixian Class" and "Fu Diao" developed from "Uighur Diao" in Fuzhou, as well as Sichuan Diao, Wennan Ci and various operas. Accompaniment instruments include flute, suona, erhu and so on. Plays include San Ya Zi Niu, Young Monk Cutting Tea, White Fan, Mao Hong and so on. Ji 'an tea-picking opera, which is popular in Ji 'an area, also originated from Sanjiaoban in Yihuang County. Influenced by Hunan ancient painting opera, Ji 'an opera and Yihuang opera, it can be divided into three types: local tune, Wennan ci and minor. In the revolutionary base areas during the Second Revolutionary Civil War, revolutionary programs such as "Bring it on", "Brothers Returning to the South" and "Volunteer to Be the Red Army" were performed. Ningdu tea-picking opera is popular in southeast Jiangxi, and its development is influenced by Qi Opera and Yihuang Opera. Tunes are divided into basic tunes and minor tunes. The main accompaniment instrument is "Hook Tube" (a kind of bamboo tube and huqin), and the plays include "Planting Bean", "Pushing Cotton" and "Mao Pengji". Tea-picking opera in Gao 'an County originated from Lantern Opera and evolved into two kinds of tea-picking operas. One is the gongs and drums class which is greatly influenced by the local Ruihe class. Its high-pitched singing and gongs are quite distinctive, and it is now called Ruihe Opera. The other is Sixian class, now called Gao 'an Tea Picking Opera. Influenced by minor tunes and Ruihe Opera in Gannan and other places, the original accompaniment only used "silk strings" (stringed instruments), and later absorbed the gongs and drums of Beijing Opera. Plays include Sun Cheng Da Jiu, Sword Robe, and modern drama Noisy Plum. The modern drama "Little Guardianship" has been made into a movie.

Jiangxi tea-picking drama is rich and colorful, singing and dancing, with rich life flavor and local characteristics. Although it has been banned repeatedly since the Qing Dynasty, it is still active in the vast rural areas with tenacious vitality. Because it is good at absorbing all kinds of folk songs and dances and local operas, it has developed very rapidly since the founding of the People's Republic of China and has now become the most popular local opera in Jiangxi.