What plays are there in Yunnan?

The magical and beautiful south of colorful clouds is not only the hometown of singing and dancing, but also another fertile ground for the growth of drama. There are various types and styles of dramas here, including drama, Yunnan opera, Beijing opera, Lantern opera, Kunqu opera, Sichuan opera and Pingju opera. Among them, there are four kinds of operas with local characteristics: Yunnan Opera and Lantern of Han nationality, and minority local operas such as Bai, Zhuang, Dai and Yi of ethnic minorities. Wu Weimin, president of Yunnan Art College, once praised Yunnan as a living fossil of drama.

Drama has a long history in Yunnan. After investigation by experts, the shadow of Yunnan's early drama was found in Cangyuan cliff painting in Lincang, Yunnan about 3000 years ago. The shadow of drama has also been found in the original rock paintings of Dawangyan in Malipo County, Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, the images in the ancient tombs of Shizhaishan in Jinning County, and the legends of Dai and Yi people. Some experts in Yunnan also believe that Yuanmou, the birthplace of mankind, is another cradle of drama art.

Maximum original ecology

Yunnan ethnic drama has a long history and various forms. Experts believe that the original ecology of Yunnan ethnic drama is a major feature of China's drama. Its original ecological drama includes: animal drama, labor drama, sacrifice and exile drama and game drama. Most of these drama forms are unique to the local area and have been passed down to this day. This kind of original ecological drama is not only reflected in the four national dramas of Bai, Dai, Yi and Zhuang, but also in many others.

Yunnan Opera's Integration into Regional Culture

Yunnan Opera, the main local drama of the Han nationality in Yunnan, was formed earlier, bred for a long time and named later. It was called "Dian Qu" in the Ming Dynasty, and it was called "singing opera", "acting", "Dian Qu" or "Dian Opera" before the Revolution of 1911. Later, due to the introduction of foreign operas into Yunnan, in order to distinguish it, the name Yunnan Opera appeared in the Republic of China. The musical tunes of Yunnan Opera originated from all kinds of resounding tunes in China, including Sixian, Xiangyang and Huqin. With Kunming as the center, Yunnan Opera has spread all over Dali, Baoshan, Tengchong, Lincang, Chuxiong, Mengzi, Gejiu, Yuxi, Tonghai, Qujing and Yiliang. In recent decades, Yunnan Opera has also adapted and created some excellent plays.

Lantern Opera is as famous as Yunnan Opera. Its development history can be said to be a history of comprehensive differentiation. It is very popular in Yunnan province, and also in parts of Sichuan province and Guizhou province. It is a kind of drama mainly in the form of song and dance, which has been passed down to this day and developed around the Qing Dynasty. Lantern is an artistic activity differentiated from religious activities, which is characterized by dancing, singing and walking. Lantern singing consists of three parts: Ming and Qing folk songs, Yunnan folk songs, folk songs outside the province and other tunes.

The reason why Yunnan Opera and Lantern Opera can be called "big operas" lies not only in their wide influence, but also in their own development and maturity, and also in their influence on other national operas.

Yunnan's "Four National Dramas"

Bai nationality drama is a drama form of the Bai people in Dali, Yunnan Province, which is popular in Dali, Yunlong and Eryuan counties. Originally known as "Chui Chui Qiang" and "Big Ben Zhong Qu", it is a Bai nationality folk song influenced by Yunnan opera, with more than 30 kinds of tunes and suona accompaniment. The languages are Mandarin and Chinese, and there are many traditional dramas with a history of 200 years.

Zhuang opera, Yunnan Zhuang opera is a folk song and dance minor of Zhuang nationality. Influenced by Guangxi Zhuang opera and Han opera, it was performed during Tongzhi and Guangxu periods in Qing Dynasty. Besides the common erhu, sanxian and gongs and drums, there are also some special musical instruments, such as local erhu, local gongs and drums, manggong, crisp drum and tuba.

Dai opera is popular in Dehong Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Dai opera is developed from folk songs and dances, and its repertoire includes historical legends and folk stories. Dai drama is divided into Dehong Dai drama and Xishuangbanna Dai drama. Dehong Dai drama can be roughly divided into male voice and female voice, and each voice is subdivided. According to the roles and ages of performers, their voices are also different. Different regions have also produced different opera tunes.

Yi opera, popular in Chuxiong, is also influenced by Han opera, and it has been performed in the form of song and dance for more than 200 years. His first play, The Separation of Azo, was written according to national and religious classics during the Qianlong period. The style of Yi Opera is characterized by national characteristics and songs and dances.