Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Qijiang Farmers Wood Engraving

Qijiang County of Chongqing is a mountainous region dominated by agriculture. There is a blooming Wood Engraving wonder which has a smell of the soil- the Qijiang Farmers Wood Engraving.

The Qijiang Farmers Wood Engraving integrates some ancient folk arts, such as the stone carving, wood carving, clay sculpture, paper-cutting, cross-stitch, embroidery, and wax. The Qijiang Farmers Wood Engraving is characterized by vivid, active, bright, simple, natural, and humorous factors.

The Qijiang Farmers Wood Engraving is a print wonder of the Chinese folk arts, and it was highly appraised by the artistic circles both home and abroad. Qijiang County was awarded the "county of the farmers Wood Engraving" by the Culture Bureau of Sichuan Province, the Artists Association of Sichuan Province, and Chongqing Government in 1985. Qijiang County was named the "county of the Chinese modern folk paintings" by China's Ministry of Culture. (Details)

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Tongliang Dragon Lantern

Tongliang County is located in the north-west of Chongqing and is 103 kilometers far from Chongqing city. The Dragon Lantern here is hand-made dragon and lantern, a kind of dance which takes the dragon and lantern as their props, as well as a comprehensive folk art which merges dance, music, art, and handicrafts into one. The Tongliang Dragon is characterized by large, long, and live features. The "large" not only refers to its large body but also its elegant bearing and tremendous momentum since it has a exaggerate model and integrates the embroidery, paper-cutting, sketch and Chinese painting. The body of the dragon is about 24 pieces normally. It has a moderate proportion and can make the dragon moves freely. "live" refers to the vivid and alive of the dragon since the mechanical theory is applied into the dragon dance, such as the development of the clockwork, the electrically operation, and the hand.

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Xiushan Festive Lantern

Xiushan Tujia and Miao Minority Autonomous County is located in the joint of Chongqing, Hunan province, Guizhou province, and Hubei province. There are green hills and clean water. It is also a place where appears a lot of outstanding people. It has a rich folk culture, and among which the Festive Lantern is the most popular one.

The Xiushan Festive Lantern is an ancient, simple, humorous, graceful, and emotional comprehensive art which combines the song, dance, and percussion. It was originated from the aboriginals' "dance in a circle" in Yuan Dynasty. Influenced by various national cultures, it has developed into a special folk art gradually.

The Festive Lantern props: flower, lantern, fan, and desk. Flower - various colorful flowers pinked out with scissors and would be decorated on the edges of the lanterns. Lantern - made of bamboo splints, and would be decorated with colorful paper flowers. There are three types of lanterns: four-ray lanterns, six-ray lanterns, and square lanterns. The lanterns are used to light the way and express the message of blessing and good harvest. Fan - folding fan, double-leaf fan, and palm-leaf fan. These fans can be used in the dance, and that kind of dance is rather difficult. Desk - major prop of the ancient Festive Lantern.

Xiushan County was known as the "County of Festive Lantern Song and Dance". The Festive Lantern Opera was originated from the "lantern opera" of Han nationality. Later, it integrated the singing and dancing of Tujia and Miao minorities and developed into a popular art which is characterized by fresh and touching factors. (Details)

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Youyang Hand-waving Dance

The Hand-waving dance is an ancient local dance of Tujia minority. It was originated from Tang Dynasty and inherited till now.

The "small hand-waving dance" - dozens or hundreds of people take part in the dance. The "big hand-waving dance" - thousands or tens of thousands people take part in the dance. There are various ways of hand-waving dance: the single-pendulum, compound pendulum and round pendulum. The dance mainly imitates daily life, fighting scenes, and working scenes. All these dance movements express a strong flavor of life and show the barbaric simplicity of the Tujia people. The Tujia people would like to do a hand-waving dance on the lawn or in the courtyard on festival days.

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Jiulong Couplets

Jiulong County of Jiulong District is located in the western suburbs of Chongqing. Six natural villages and four community committees are under its jurisdiction. The agricultural population is 8,000. Jiulong County keeps exploring a road of developing the characteristic culture indefatigably. The cultural activities headed by couplets creation which are popular among the folk have achieved remarkable success.

Jiulong Couplets is pretty ornamental since it has a lively form, elegant style, and characteristic appeal. There are 24,000 works out of more than 3,600 persons in Jiulong County. More than 10,000 works are widely used in the daily life, and about 260 works carved on wood, stone, bamboo and stainless steel exhibited in various places perpetually. 22 editions of "Jiuling Couplets" have been issued, reaches nearly ten thousands volumes. Jiulong Couplets was awarded as "the ten folk arts of Chongqing".

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Three Wonders of Liangping

The traditional Liangshan Opera, Liangping New Year Picture and Liangping Bamboo Curtain are three wonders of Liangping. They are praised as "wonders in east Sichuan province", and also are awarded "the ten folk arts of Chongqing".

Liangshan Opera

Liangshan Opera was nicknamed as Baotou yangkoOpera; it is a native-born opera of Liangping. It was originated from "lantern playing" and "yangko opera" in the Zhengde period (1506-1522) of Ming Dynasty. In the middle period of Qing Dynasty, Liangshan Opera was very popular. It would be played on festival days. It was spread around gradually, and formed a "Liangshan Opera tune" (which has merged more than ten operas) of the Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River and the hundreds of cities and towns in the south of China.

Liangping New Year Picture

Liangping New Year Picture was awarded one of the Three New Year Pictures in China. It was originated in early Qing Dynasty, and has a history of more than 300 years. It adopts the Romanticism and audacious abstraction of art, and deals with expelling evil influence and invoking blessings, as well as historical stories. It has beautiful and special models, vivid and intellectual characters. It also has a strong flavor of rural life. It has the effect of animation, paper-cutting and cartoon technically. Its frames are clean and full, its model is simple and rough. Its vivid expression, full composition, and strong contrast provide the people with beauty. It has high artistic value as a colored Wood Engraving. People will never get tired of it since it has a rich cultural connotation.

Liangping Bamboo Cuitain

The manufacture of the Liangping Bamboo Curtain has a history of more than 1000 years. It is recorded that it was listed as the royal tributes in the period of Northern Song Dynasty. It enjoyed a good reputation and was awarded as "the best curtain in the world".

Liangping Bamboo Curtain adopts the local bamboo as its raw material. It produces various types of curtains, screens, decorative paintings and practical craftworks by using the traditional manufacture technique and combining some expression means (such as calligraphy, flocking and embroidery). It is characterized by classic colors and fine craftsmanship, and it also has a strong local feature and natural charm.

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Blow of Jielong Town

The folk blow performance of Jielong Town in Chongqing Banan District is a mountainous flavor and traditional custom which has a long history. With the development of the society, it has inherited, developed and created continuously popularity in the villagers. It is characterized by diversified style and bright colors, and it has become an emerging folk music force in the villages and rural areas.

The Blow of Jielong Town was praised as a wonder of Chongqing Culture. The following are its features: various types, rich tunes and diversified genres. Jielong County set up the Folk Blow Association in 1991, and there were about 500 members. Jielong County built the Folk Art Troupe in 1996. Chongqing City Bureau of Culture named Jielong as "the town of folk blow". Chongqing Blow (the Blow of Jielong County and Jinqiao County) was listed on "the ten folk arts of Chongqing" in the selection activity held by Chongqing City Bureau of Culture and Chongqing Evening News.

Eight Folk Arts in Chongqing - Folk Song of Mudong County

Mudong is a county located in the east of Chongqing and on the south bank of Yangtze River. The Folk Song of Mudong County has more than 100 tunes, including minor, mountain songs and rhythmical work songs. The work songs are divided into trackers' work song, stonemasons' work song, porters' work song and farmers' work song. The Folk Songs of Mudong Town moved its stage from rural areas to the art stage, institutes of tertiary education and TV screen of the city. It is widely spread in the land of China. Chongqing City Bureau of Culture named Mudong Town as "the town of folk songs".