User:Deng Xinyu

My name is Deng Xinyu, and my English name is Ellen. After I graduated from Hunan First Normal University, I headed to rural Hunan to work as an English teacher at an elementary school. Then I worked as a full-time translator in Changsha. I am passionate about hiking, climbing, and music. Trekking through mountains recharges me, while music lets me unwind after busy translation work. Whether teaching, translating, or exploring nature, I stay focused on connecting people and embracing new experiences, always eager to bring my patience and curiosity to whatever comes next.

Final Exam Paper

祁东渔鼓戏

总体介绍

祁东渔鼓戏是湖南省衡阳市祁东县的汉族民间曲艺，形成于二十世纪40年代，是湖南省非物质文化遗产。祁东渔鼓以长二尺四寸、蒙猪皮膜的竹制渔鼓筒为主奏乐器，配合说唱表演，代表曲目包括《隋唐演义》《乾隆下江南》等。其雏形可追溯至烧瓦匠刘贤忠，其徒邹祖溪在1952年中南戏曲观摩会上演唱《廖仁福的互助组》，首次将渔鼓带入正式舞台。

历史起源

祁东渔鼓戏历史悠久，可以上溯至唐代的“道情”，也就是道士们传道或者化募时所叙述的道家之事和道家之情，以渔鼓、简板伴奏，称为“打渔鼓，唱道歌”。这一艺术形式在元代广泛传唱，至清代已形成完整唱腔。关于渔鼓传入祁东的具体时间虽无详尽史料，但民间传说可追溯至南宋建炎年间，当时金兵入侵、高宗南迁，随行宫廷艺人沿途流失民间，以说唱卖艺为生，成为渔鼓在湘南传播的雏形。有史可查的祁东渔鼓发展始于20世纪40年代中叶。祁东县白地市镇万福岭的烧瓦匠刘贤忠，闲暇时捧着两尺竹筒，一边敲击一边演唱历朝趣闻与民间故事，吸引乡邻三五成群前来聆听，附近的民间艺人邹祖溪常去听刘贤忠唱渔鼓，后拜刘贤忠为师，成为刘贤忠在祁东的开山弟子。邹祖溪也被公认为祁东渔鼓的创始人。邹祖溪原本是一名唱“夜歌子”（为死者超度的丧葬歌曲）为生的民间歌郎，曲艺天赋极高，他将渔鼓引入丧堂表演，后又广收门徒，将渔鼓带出丧堂、搭台演出，逐步拓展出祝寿、庆谱、开墟、开业等多元应用场景，可以说，在今天祁东老百姓的生活中，一旦遇到重要节日场合都会说一句：“打几场渔鼓”。因祁东渔鼓顽强的艺术生命力和广泛的影响力，2008年，祁东县被中国曲艺家协会授予“中国曲艺之乡”称号，是湖南省唯一获此殊荣的县。祁东县有国家级非遗代表性传承人邹昆山、省级代表性传承人邹华春。

演唱特色

祁东渔鼓戏的核心演唱特色为“灵活多变、即兴创作”，独具一格，核心主旋律为四句唱腔，艺人可根据剧情需要灵活运用不同板式，演绎出催人泪下的悲戚、慷慨激昂的豪情或情意缠绵的温婉。同时，它大胆吸收祁剧、花鼓戏、祁阳小调等本地艺术精华，将生、旦、净、丑各行当特色融入表演，演员“唱、说、做（表演）”随机应变。说：语言采用祁东方言，咬字清晰、句式关联紧密，语言非常生活化，简单却富含生活哲理。音调上接近于平时说话的语气，使观众听起来更亲切。做（表演）：渔鼓表演动作没有大幅度的表演，主要集中体现在眼神、面部表情、手势、和体型上。唱：艺人演唱时注重“以情带声”，既可用“似唱非唱、似说非说”的吟唱形式抒情，也可深入角色内心演绎情绪，偶尔还会穿插黄梅戏或流行歌曲引发观众共鸣。祁东渔鼓戏有两大艺术特点：第一个特点：无本子可循，即兴创作祁东渔鼓戏最令人称道的是演员的即兴创作能力。渔鼓演出无固定剧本，艺人仅需与主家商定时间、明确剧目概况，便可临场发挥完成唱词与念白，台前演员配合默契，后台乐队也能精准契合演出情绪伴奏。这种无本可循的演绎方式，既考验艺人的生活积累，也让每一场演出都独具特色。如果观众兴趣浓厚，演员可以在原有的剧目基础上进一步加工、升华；如果遇到观众兴趣不高、或者演员临时有事、或者天气的原因无法演出时，艺人们可以根据剧情进行完整的故事结局。第二个特点：叙事性强、通俗易懂、风趣幽默、富有生活哲理。祁东渔鼓舞台语言为“祁东土话”，内容多反映奇闻逸事、方针政策，也可以是身边的好人好事、家长里短等，配合当地的俚语，听起来既有教育意义，又活泼有趣、深入人心。有时一场渔鼓表演过程中观众会笑声不断，笑闹之处情理蕴含其中，如同现代的脱口秀现场。如陈云飞先生写的单口渔鼓《酒字歌》：人生难得几回醉，要喝一定要到位；五十度的白干天天醉，翻江倒海冲肠胃；急得儿子干瞪眼，气得老婆分床睡；分床睡就分床睡，喝酒哪能不喝醉；你不醉，我不醉，柏油马路谁来睡；你也醉，我也醉，明天医院再相会。

特色乐器——渔鼓

渔鼓筒是祁东渔鼓戏的标志性乐器，属于节奏乐器。渔鼓分为两个部分，一个部分是渔鼓筒：又称“春筒”、“竹琴”；一部分是用来敲打渔鼓筒击拍的辅助工具：简板。“简板”又称“简子”，祁东渔鼓称“扎板”。渔鼓筒由鼓筒、鼓皮两部分组成：鼓筒多选用祁东本地盛产的楠竹、斑竹，截取直径约10厘米、长度80厘米的竹段，打通竹节并打磨光滑；鼓皮选用猪皮或羊皮，经浸泡、晾晒、拉伸等多道工序处理后，蒙于鼓筒一端用绳绷紧。渔鼓筒的演奏技法古朴灵动，艺人将鼓筒斜靠于左手臂弯内，演奏时，左手竖抱渔鼓，左手食指戴竹制或木制简板敲击鼓筒，右手配合拍击鼓面，一边拍，一边敲，一边唱，与渔鼓简板的清脆声相互呼应，再搭配二胡（主奏乐器）、京胡、月琴、电子琴、笛子等辅助乐器，形成具有节奏感和音乐美的和谐演唱效果。

现代发展

祁东渔鼓戏不断突破传统边界。表演形式从早期单口、对唱，拓展出渔鼓小品、表演唱、剧目演出等多元形态，服装也从无固定样式发展为以大方得体的汉族盘扣服饰或现代时尚服饰为主。祁东渔鼓戏既保留《乾隆下江南》《好丑媳妇》《玉镯冤》等100多个传统剧目，也涌现除了诸多现代生活题材的曲目，如邹昆山的《大爱千秋》，讲述了2008年汶川地震发生时祁东籍教师谭千秋勇救学生的感人故事。传播方式上，艺人借助短视频、直播等互联网平台，让祁东渔鼓戏走出湘南乡土，吸引了全国范围内的年轻观众关注。

问题

1. 祁东渔鼓戏形成于哪个年代？ 2. 祁东渔鼓戏的创始人是谁？ 3. 祁东渔鼓戏的舞台语言是什么？ 4. 祁东渔鼓戏的核心演唱特色是什么？ 5. 祁东渔鼓戏的主奏乐器是什么？

Qidong Yuguxi: The Traditional Folk Opera of Qidong County

General Introduction

Took shape in the 1940s, Qidong Yuguxi (literally meaning Finishing Drum Opera) is a traditional folk opera in Qidong County, Hengyang City, Hunan Province. It is an intangible cultural heritage of Hunan Province. Its main accompanying instrument is Yugu (literally meaning Finishing Drum), a bamboo-made drum, which is 2 feet and 4 inches long and covered with pigskin membrane. Its representative repertoires include Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties and Emperor Qianlong's Southern Inspection Tour. Its origin can be traced back to Liu Xianzhong, a brick and tile kilnman. His apprentice Zou Zuxi brought Yuguxi to the official stage for the first time in 1952.

Historical Origin

With a long-standing history, Qidong Yuguxi can be traced back to the "Daoqing" (a form of Taoist storytelling and preaching by Taoist priests when preaching or begging for alms) in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Accompanied by Yugu and clappers, it was called "playing Yugu and singing Taoist songs”. This art form was widely spread in the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and developed a complete system of singing style in the Qing Dynasty. No historical records specify the exact time when Yuguxi was introduced to Qidong. However, according to folk legends, it found its way to Qidong during the Jianyan period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1130) —a time when the Jin army invaded and Emperor Gaozong moved the capital southward. The accompanying court artists scattered along the way and made a living by storytelling and singing, which is regarded as the original form of Yuguxi's spread in southern Hunan. The recorded history of the development of Qidong Yuguxi began in the mid-1940s. Liu Xianzhong, a brick and tile kilnman from Wanfuling Village, Baidishi Town, Qidong County, would hold a two-foot-long bamboo tube and knock it while singing interesting stories of past dynasties and folk tales in his spare time, which had attracted a lot of neighbors to listen. Zou Zuxi, a nearby folk artist, often went to listen to Liu Xianzhong's Yuguxi performances and later became his first disciple in Qidong. Zou Zuxi is also recognized as the founder of Qidong Yuguxi. Originally, Zou Zuxi was a folk singer who made a living by singing "Yegazi" (funeral dirges sung to pray for the salvation of the deceased). Thanks to his great talent for folk art, he introduced Yuguxi to funeral performances. Later, he accepted many disciples, bringing Yuguxi out of funeral halls to stage performances. Gradually, he expanded its performance scenarios to birthday celebrations, clan genealogy ceremonies, market openings, store inaugurations and other diverse occasions. It is fair to say that Qidong people will propose "holding several Yuguxi performances" whenever encountering important festivals or events. Due to the strong artistic vitality and extensive influence of Qidong Yuguxi, Qidong County was awarded the title of "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art" by the Chinese Ballad Singers Association in 2008, being the only county in Hunan Province to receive this honor. Qidong County is home to Zou Kunshan, a national-level representative inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, and Zou Huachun, a provincial-level representative inheritor.

Singing Characteristics

The core singing feature of Qidong Yuguxi lies in "flexibility and improvisation", a trait that sets it apart from other Chinese folk operas. Structured around four-line arias as its core melody, artists will flexibly use different plate styles (musical meter pattern) based on the plot to convey sorrow that moves people to tears, lofty and impassioned heroism, or gentle and lingering affection. At the same time, it boldly absorbs the essence of local art forms such as Qiyang Opera, Huaguxi (another kind of folk opera popular in Hunan Province) and Qiyang Minor, and integrates the characteristics of different roles such as Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou (the four main role types in traditional Chinese opera) into the performance. Actors can improvise their "singing, speaking and acting" in response to changing situations. • Speaking: The performance is delivered in the Qidong dialect, featuring clear enunciation and tightly linked sentence structures. The speech is close to the daily spoken language of residents, simple in form yet rich in life wisdom. In terms of tone, it mirrors the tone of daily speech, creating a warm and approachable feel for the audience. • Acting: The performance movements of Yuguxi do not have large-scale gestures; instead, they are mainly reflected in eye expressions, facial expressions, hand gestures and body postures. • Singing: When singing, artists focus on expressing emotions through voice. They can either express emotions in a chanting form of "half-singing and half-speaking" or interpret the innermost emotions of the roles they portray. Occasionally, they will intersperse elements of Huangmei Opera (a traditional opera popular in Anhui Province) or pop songs to strike a chord with the audience. Qidong Yuguxi has two major artistic characteristics: Characteristic 1: No fixed scripts and relying on improvisation What makes Qidong Yuguxi most praised is the actors' improvisational ability, as Yuguxi shows have no fixed scripts. Artists merely need to confirm the performance schedule with the host and clarify the general plot of the repertoire, then they can improvise the lyrics and spoken parts on the spot. The actors on stage cooperate tacitly, and the band backstage can provide appropriate accompaniment that aligns with the emotional tone of the performance. This type of unscripted performance not only requires the artists to have rich life experiences but also makes each performance unique. If the audience is highly interested, the actors can further refine and sublimate the original repertoire; conversely, if the audience lacks engagement or the show cannot be held due to the actors’ temporary matters or bad weather, the artists can conclude the story according to the plot. Characteristic 2: Narrating a meaningful story with easy-to-understand and humorous language. The stage language of Qidong Yuguxi is "Qidong dialect". And its content is mostly about anecdotes, national guidelines, and policies, daily trivialities among families and neighbors. Integrating local slang, the performances feature educational, vivid, and engaging storytelling, which strikes a deep chord with the audience. Sometimes the audience will laugh out loud throughout a Yuguxi performance, just like a modern talk show. Notably, its humorous segments carry elements of rationality. For example, the solo Yuguxi The Song of Drinking Wine, written by Mr. Chen Yunfei: Life’s too short to skip a good drunk; go all out, don’t be a punk!. Knocking back 50-proof Baijiu (grain-based Chinese liquor) daily, dead drunk—your stomach’s churning as a wild sea’s sunk! Your son’s tearing his hair out, but can’t change a thing—wife’s so ticked that she’s crashing in a separate bed, no cling! If she wants to sleep separately, let her be; c’mon, what’s drinking if you ain’t tipsy? If you don’t get wasted and I don’t hit the sauce—who’s gonna pass out on the asphalt course? If you’re plastered and I’m hammered, mark my word—tomorrow we’ll meet again in the hospital ward!

Characteristic Instrument—Yugu (fishing drum)

The Yugu tube is the iconic instrument of Qidong Yuguxi and is a percussion instrument. Yugu consists of two parts: one is the Yugu tube, also known as "Chuntong" or "Zhuqin" (bamboo zither); the other is “Jianban” (the clappers) for beating the Yugu tube to accompany the singing, also called "Jianzi" in general, and "Zhapan" in Qidong Yuguxi. The Yugu tube is composed of the tube body and the drum membrane: the tube body is mostly made of Nan Bamboo (phyllostachys pubescens) or mottled bamboo, both of which are widely available in Qidong. To make the tube body, a bamboo section with a diameter of about 10 centimeters and a length of 80 centimeters is cut, with its nodes removed and polished smooth. One end of the tube is covered with the drum membrane made of processed pigskin or sheepskin and secured tightly with ropes. The playing techniques of the Yugu tube are simple yet flexible. Artists lean the tube on their left arm. When playing, they hold the Yugu vertically with their left hand, wear a bamboo or wooden “Jianban” on the left index finger to knock the tube. Meanwhile, they pat the drumhead with their right palm, singing while patting and knocking—their voice resonating with the crisp sound of the Yugu’s claps. When accompanied by auxiliary instruments such as erhu (the main accompanying instrument), jinghu (a small fiddle used in Peking Opera), yueqin (a plucked string instrument), electronic organ and flute, a harmonious performance is formed, characterized by distinct rhythm and musical elegance.

Modern Development

Qidong Yuguxi has been pushing the traditional boundaries. Its performance forms have expanded from early solo and duet singing to diverse forms such as Yuguxi sketch comedy, vocal performances and full-length repertoire shows. The costumes have developed from no fixed styles to elegant Han-style buttoned costumes or contemporary fashion attire. Qidong Yuguxi not only retains more than 100 traditional repertoires such as Emperor Qianlong's Southern Inspection Tour, The Ugly Yet Virtuous Daughter-in-law and Injustice of the Jade Bracelet, but also has emerged many repertoires with modern life themes, such as The Great Love of Qian Qiu by Zou Kunshan, which tells the touching story of Tan Qianqiu, a Qidong-born teacher who courageously rescued his students with his own body during the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake.

In terms of communication methods, artists have used Internet channels such as short videos and live streaming platforms to help Qidong Yuguxi step out of the rural areas of southern Hunan and capture the attention of young audiences nationwide.

Terms and Expressions

Qidong Yuguxi祁东渔鼓戏 Yugu (fishing drum) 渔鼓 Yugu tube渔鼓筒 Jianban (the clappers) 简板 Daoqing道情 (a form of Taoist storytelling and preaching by Taoist priests when preaching or begging for alms) Play Yugu打渔鼓 Yuguxi performance唱渔鼓 Qidong dialect祁东土话（祁东方言） solo Yuguxi单口渔鼓 The Song of Drinking Wine《酒字歌》 The Ugly Yet Virtuous Daughter-in-law 《好丑媳妇》 The Great Love of Qian Qiu《大爱千秋》 intangible cultural heritage of Hunan Province湖南省非物质文化遗产 Qiyang Opera祁剧

Questions

1. In which decade did Qidong Yuguxi take shape? 2. Who is the founder of Qidong Yuguxi? 3. What is the stage language of Qidong Yuguxi? 4. What are the core features of Qidong Yuguxi performance? 5. What is the main accompanying instrument of Qidong Yuguxi?

Reference

1. Zhou Yanbing 周彦冰，Zhou Tieshan 周铁珊. (2012). “中国曲艺之乡” 湖南祁东渔鼓音乐的探索与发展 [Exploration and Development of Qidong Yuguxi Music in Hunan, the "Hometown of Chinese Quyi"]. 音乐创作 [Music Creation] (08) 170-172. 2. Hou Kena 侯克娜. (n.d.). 论祁东渔鼓的艺术特色与发展启示 [On the Artistic Characteristics and Development Enlightenment of Qidong Yuguxi]. 艺术争鸣 [Contention in Literature and Art] 153-154. 3. Zhao Puru 赵普儒. (n.d.). 祁东渔鼓的艺术生态研究 [Research on the Artistic Ecology of Qidong Yuguxi]. 中南大学硕士学位论文 [Master's Thesis, Central South University]. 4. Wang Xianglian 王湘莲. (2018). 浅谈祁东渔鼓的传承和发展 [A Brief Discussion on the Inheritance and Development of Qidong Yuguxi]. 戏剧之家 [Home Drama] (06) 16-17, 21. 5. Baidu Baike 百度百科. (n.d.). 祁东渔鼓 [Qidong Yuguxi] [EB/OL]. https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%A5%81%E4%B8%9C%E6%B8%94%E9%BC%93/10571508#reference-1 6. Hengyang Municipal People's Government 衡阳市人民政府. (2020). 祁东渔鼓 [Qidong Yuguxi] [EB/OL]. https://www.hengyang.gov.cn/wlgtj/wtfw/whys/20200118/i401041.html?tsrdfwczlrt