SHENZHOU XITAN: ZHONGGUO JINGJU {CHINA'S THEATER:
BEIJING (PEKING) OPERA} {MANDARIN CHINESE} (TV)
Summary
This tape offers two programs about the Beijing (Peking)
Opera. Both programs are narrated by two hosts and
accompanied by Chinese open captioning for those who
understand the written language but not the oral. The
first program has two sections in which the hosts
introduce the use and function of the prop weapons seen
in the Beijing Opera. Each of the prop weapons is
demonstrated by actors and actresses who perform
excerpts from traditional operas. The first section of
the program begins with a brief introduction of the
so-called "Eighteen Weapons": dao (broad sword), qiang
(spear), jian (sword), ji (curved spear), fu (axe), yue
(broad axe), gou (hook), cha (fork), tang (fork-shaped
spear), gun (club), shuo (long spear), bang (long club),
bian (whip), jian (square-shaped spear), chui (heavy
hammer), zha (spear), guaizi (club) and liuxing (small
hammer). This is followed by a detailed explanation of
some of the most important weapons. The first primary
category is qiang, various types of which are
demonstrated by actors performing scenes from
"Yingxiong yi" ("The Loyalty of Heroes"), "Yandang shan"
("The Yandang Mountain"), "Sha ximen" ("The Killing of
Ximen") and "Dao xiancao" ("Stealing the Sacred Grass").
The second major category is dao, which includes many
variations as demonstrated in scenes from "Shou Guan
Sheng" ("The Defeat of Guan Sheng") and "Gucheng hui"
("Confrontation at Gucheng"). Fu and yue belong to the
same category, and they are demonstrated in scenes from
"Tianmen zhen" ("Battle at Tianmen"), in which Yang
Wulang uses an axe to defeat his enemy, and "Hongqiao
zeng zhu" ("Pearl Given at Hongqiao"), in which
Erlangshen uses his two-sided yue to fight Liyu xianzi.
The second section of the program starts with jian
(sword), which is closely related to Taoism and Chinese
martial arts and has a special position in Chinese
military history. The use of jian is demonstrated in a
scene from "Dang ma" ("Blocking the Horse"). The next
important category is duan dao (short-handled broad
sword), which has several variations and is
demonstrated in an episode of "Yandang shan." The next
category is dun (shield), usually made of metal or
bamboo and decorated with tiger or dragon patterns.
Some props are real weapons, like bishou (dagger, as in
"Wu Song") and san jie gun (three-section cudgel, as in
"Tie gongji" ["Iron Roaster"]). Other major categories
include jian (square club) and chui (hammer), which also
have several variations, as demonstrated in "Nao
tiangong" ("Monkey King in the Heaven"). The second,
shorter, program focuses on foreign students who
study the Beijing Opera in Beijing and Shanghai.
Introductions of well-known actors and actresses are
followed by their performances in scenes from some
dramas. Maya first went to China in 1989 to study
Beijing Opera, viewers learn. She studied roles of
military women with Professor Sun Jingyuan, and she is
now a board member of the British Beijing Opera Society.
She plays the role of Hu Sanniang in "Zhujia zhuang."
Gefa, a three-dimensional designer from London, decided
to go to China to study the Beijing Opera after he saw
an opera performed in 1993. He spent five years at the
Beijing Drama Institute, where he learned the role of
wusheng (young warrior) under the tuition of Professor
Ma Younian. He plays Wu Song in "Shizi lou" ("The
Mansion of Lion"). Denise, an American who loves
hualian (masked male), plays Bao Gong in "Zha mei an."
Xiaoshi, an English young man, plays a young monk in
"Xia shan" ("Descending the Mountain"). Other students
hail from countries around the world, including Central
Africa, Romania, and the Ukraine.
(This program is in Mandarin Chinese.)
Cataloging of this program was made possible by Sun TV,
2002.
Details
- NETWORK: CCTV (China)
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 1:27:19
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:68918
- GENRE: Arts documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: International Collection - China; Operas, Chinese
- SERIES RUN: CCTV (China) - TV series
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Yi Nan … Host
- Dashan (transliterated) … Host, Guest Host
- Zhao Jingbo … Host, Guest Host
- Ma Younian … Guest
- Song Jingyuan … Guest
- Xia Yimin … Guest
- Bi Xiaoyu … Cast
- Callalena, Anna (transliterated) … Cast
- Dong Hongli … Cast
- Guo Hongyu … Cast
- Han Yansong … Cast
- Hu Jingbo … Cast
- Li Ming … Cast
- Liu Meiyang … Cast
- Liu Xiliang … Cast
- Mei Lanfang … Cast
- Pei Yongjie … Cast
- Sha Lijin … Cast
- Wang Xuebin … Cast
- Wu Aimin … Cast
- Yan Jianjun … Cast
- Yang Xuebin … Cast
- Zhang Quanhui … Cast