Haoyang chant and Haocao drums and cymbals comes from people’s daily life in Wulin mountain areas. The sound is rough and long, and most importantly it indicates the villagers’ fight against nature and tough life. Led by the head, villagers sing together with eches in the mountain, making the sound powerful and artistic.

Haoyang chant and Haocao drums and cymbals are the song of villagers’ life, closely related to their production and living conditions. They are also a cultural treasure of local people, making it a valuable source of research on anthropology, ethnology and folklore.

How to protect Yang Drama, a state – level intangible cultural heritage in a poor village where the average annual income is less than 2000 RMB? We reproduced the real performance and daily life of 9 drama artists and 4 drummers. Focusing on demonstrating the culture of Yang Drama, we participated in the drama ourselves and hosted a special party for local villagers. By watching these videos, we need to realize  that their dedication and commitment are not only a mere performance, but also a kind of cohesion and release of “social capital”.

There are 13 members in Baimatan, who are led by  Chen Yongxia, the performer of witch. Chen Yongxia enshrines the God Guangong in her house for worship, which also draws local villagers to come and pray to. According to her, Yang Drama is usually performed for making a wish, both big and small. 

Yang Drama is a combination of sacrificial ceremonies and theatrical performance, including 7 steps.

First,  the host family would invite God to pray for the success of the ceremony.

Second, Guan Gong would come and drive away any lingering evil spirits.

Third, lady Pang would be invited to realize the dream of the host family, as well as to spread the principles of Confucianism throughout her story.

Fourth, the formal performance would begin. The play would be set according to both the wishes of the host family and of the crew.

Fifth, the host family would pray to the gods for blessing, then send the gods back to where they belong.

Sixth, the crew would perform the scene of Gong Guan driving away disasters and welcoming happiness, and would bid the god farewell before his leave.

Seventh, after Gong Guan’s leave, the whole performance would come to an end and the crew would bid the family farewell. The host and other members turn their back to the family at the crossroads near the house in the afternoon, then throw an egg high into the sky, which was laid on the family shrine in the beginning of the ceremony. By breaking the egg the host can see whether the ceremony is a success. 

Yang drama in Youyang keeps the traditional features of masked Yang Drama, and the main characteristic is that all the actors wear wooden masks, while donning costumes as ghosts and gods.

Th

The features of Yang Drama are as follows:
1. A distinct consciousness of drama
2. Vivid and lively characters.
3.Obtaining a both solemn and humorous atmosphere during the performance.
4. A variety of performing instruments, such as the costumes, musical instruments, and masks.
5. Profound connotations in the script.
6. Powerful music with lyrics easy to understand, making the local people easily resonate with the performance.
Different roles have different actions according to the plot.

Fifteen hundred years ago, a famous poem written by Tao Yuanming, a great poet of the Jin Dynasty, called “The Peach Blossom Spring”, drove countless people to search for the utopian valley described in it. It turns out that the Big You Cavern is the gateway to this described ethereal utopia. The cavern has isolated the region, limiting outside contact and contamination for hundreds of years. The people behind this gateway were seen as living an ideal life in harmony with nature. Today, the Peach Valley has become a name card of Youyang.

The Origin of Yang Drama

Yang Drama is a variety and development of the Nuo Opera genre, which can be traced back to the ancient Shang Dynasty (B.C.1700 – B.C. 1100). It is believed that Yang Drama of Youyang in Chongqing province dates back to the Tang Dynasty (CE 618-907). The local residents would invite the Yang Drama troupes to pray to the gods for blessing their families, and chasing away the evil spirits. During the performance, performers would wear colorful costumes and various masks, utilize props, sing with instruments like Huqin, bamboo clappers, gongs and drums, which was in harmony with the stage, pace, figure, and so on. All performers are males, even those for the female roles.

The development and present challenges of Yang Drama

Around 50-60 years ago, there were 48 Yang Drama groups, whose performances were very popular at that time. However, only 6 or 7 groups have survived, and the supply and training of performers are quite unstable. According to Ran Qiyao, the leader of the Taopo Yang Drama group, the shortage of performers turns out to be the biggest problem. In recent years, thanks to the government’s efforts to develop the local tourism, many tourists have come to visit this quiet village, but the Taopo group haven’t even performed once last year. For the local people, Yang Drama is not only one of the limited public entertainment activity, but also a cultural treasure representing their longing and hope for a better life.

In their daily life, the Tujia people improvise songs using inspiration from the natural landscape and social phenomenons as source material during their work or leisure time. The folk songs of the Tujia minority group reflect their historical development, modes of production, religious beliefs, folk customs, art traditions and local language.

The Tujia folk songs in the Wujiang river basin in Chongqing are rich in content including the local food, clothing, shelter, and transportation. They describe a rich and almost forgotten way of life with unique national characteristics. 

In their daily life, the Tujia people improvise songs using inspiration from the natural landscape and social phenomenons as source material during their work or leisure time. The folk songs of the Tujia minority group reflect their historical development, modes of production, religious beliefs, folk customs, art traditions and local language.

1. Self-entertaining folk song:

2.  Flirting folk song: the flirting folk songs show teasing or flirting to the opposite sex. These ballads have a deep methodology and stories, most of which tell the boys and girls to maintain an honest and persistent pursuit of love.

3. Relieving folk song: this kind of song aims to cheer people up after work when they feel tired or upset.

4. Duet folk song: also called ask-and-answer songs. One singer answers another one’s question by singing while adding riddles into the lyrics.

Cultural activities in Youyang are always accompanied by communal songs. From August 2nd to 13th, the Interdisciplinary Design & Social Innovation Summer Camp, “Song of You”, jointly organized by Hunan University, Sichuan Fine Arts Institute, and Markor Furnishings, came to a successful ending. Forty students, teachers, and volunteers joined this camp, which was based in Brilliant Lion Primary School in Qingquan Village .They conducted various activities in villages like Tonggu, Heishui and Nanmuand, including exploring the origin of Youyang culture, collecting intangible cultural heritages and visiting local folk artists.