The Cultural Origin of Qinqiang Opera in the Ancient Era

Wang Zhengqiang

Chairman of Gansu Dramatists Association， a famous Chinese folk-art expert， and member of Gansu Intangible Cultural Heritage Expert Committee. Wang has dedicated himself to studying the culture behind Qinqiang opera.

This book represents a dependable large-scale reference， comprehensively and systematically introducing the art of Qinqiang opera. It is divided into nine categories： the history of Qinqiang opera， performing arts， music， stage arts， schools， characters， opera list， appreciation of famous dramas， and comprehensiveness. In each part， the knowledge on Qinqiang opera is presented.

Encyclopedia of

Chinese Qinqiang Opera

Wang Zhengqiang

Taibai Literature and Art Publishing House

July 2017

998.00 （CNY） （2 Volumes）

In the ancient era， western Shaanxi Province and the entirety of Gansu Province were known as the land of Yugong and Yongzhou. When Duke Xiang of the Qin （a feudatory state ruled by the Ying House in the Western Zhou Dynasty） State came to power， he was “rewarded with a piece of land called Qixi”. Around 770 BCE when the Qin State gained statehood and set up its capital， Southeastern Gansu and the western part of Qin State were called the “Land of Qin”.

When Fuxi （one of the three Emperors in ancient Chinese legend）， Nüwa （the goddess of creation in ancient Chinese mythology）， Yellow Emperor （leader of the ancient tribal alliance， head of the five emperors）， and Shennong （also known as Yan Emperor， the legendary inventor of agriculture and medicine）， “the Sage Gods of Great Antiquity” first appeared in Chinese history， and they were concerned with this primitive piece of land. They were all within the boundary between Earth and Heaven， in the Gucheng Period by the shore of Weihe River. As great witches of prehistoric religion， the four “Gods” were in a position of authority in witch-styled songs and dances. They were also masters at creating witch-styled dances and instruments. On Filiality · Fate （a book by anonymous men in the Han Dynasty） documented “Li Ji”， a piece of music created by Fuxi. Many classics have frequently revealed the incidents of Fuxi， such as “creating Se （瑟）， a twenty-five-stringed plucked instrument， somewhat similar to the zither”， and “creating Xun （塤）， an egg-shaped， holed wind instrument， by firing clay”， and the incidents of Nüwa， such as “creating Shenghuang （笙簧）， reeds of a panpipe”. “Xun” was called “Xiaxun （夏塤）”， hence comes into being the phrase “Xiaxun produces pure rhythm”. “Xia” is the generalized name of the ancient Chinese nation. According to Zuo Zhuan （Master Zuo’s Spring and Autumn Annals）： “Xia is Huaxia， the Chinese nation.” There’s no doubt Xun is one of the earliest musical instruments created by the Chinese nation. It’s said that the sound produced by Xun is the sound of Fuxi imitating the birds. This concept became the origin and basis of advocating orthodox “elegant music” in later generations. Thus， there is an equivalence between “Ya （雅）” and bird， and Ya and Xia （夏）. So， Ya tone means Xia music.

“Xun”， commonly known as “Niwawu （泥哇嗚）”， “Mimiguan （咪咪罐）”， and “Nilier （泥梨兒）”， is mostly found within the territory of Guan Long from east to west. The tradition of Xun making by firing and Xun playing is still kept in remote rural areas in Gangu， Wushan， Qin’an， Dingxi， Huating， and Jingchuan. In an archaeological excavation in 1976， more than 20 remnants of clay Xun of late primitive society or early slave society were unearthed in the Huoshaogou cultural site in Yumen， Gansu Province. The number of remnants in varying shapes comes top out of the clay Xun sites in Dadiwan， Qin’an. The clay Xun in Huoshaogou is uniquely fashioned like an oblate fish. A small hole is opened in the top for blowing. On the left and right side and the left lower part is a sound hole respectively. The remnants all belong to the three-hole clay Xun. They are determined by carbon-14 dating to be cultural relics from 16th century BCE.

The augmented fourth pitch interval and the augmented fifth pitch interval on the basis of even and odd tone sequences of the Xia Dynasty clay Xun had been honored as the “basic sounds of the Chinese nation”. They were a shining example of rites and music of the Zhou Dynasty and Yayue （elegant music） honored by the Confucianists in later generations. The “basic sounds of the Chinese nation” had its source in “Xiaxun produces pure rhythm”， which originated from， as a chapter in Classic of Mountains and Rivers composed before the Warring States tells， the Xia Dynasty three-hole clay Xun discovered in Huoshaogou， Yumen， Gansu Province. Xun was made by firing clay. Here’s what Shi Ji · Yue Shu writes： “Gong， the sound of clay”. Textual Research of Shi Ji chronicles that： “The curtain screens the house from the outside.” Associating the making of Xun by firing clay with the name Huoshaogou， Yumen， we’ll be thinking of the long history and profound culture of Qinqiang opera. It is therefore not surprising that “Dr. Wine” used such potent rhetoric as “Jiuquan is the source of inspiration of music” in Dunhuang book relics On Tea and Wine.