About Gong-drum Drama 锣鼓戏剧

The Gong-drum Drama(锣鼓戏剧luógǔ xìjù) is an age-old local recitative drama prevalent in Linyi, Wanrong and Hejin Counties in Shanxi Province. It is famous for singing without the accompaniment of stringed instruments, but merely gongs and drums. Gong-drum Drama is also known as "Longyan Drama" due to the custom that it is performed to requite deities in the first lunar month in Longyan Temple located in Linyi.

The exact era in which the Gong-drum Drama came into existence is still remained unknown, with the era before or after Song-Jin Period as the most commonly accepted one. It is said that in the 2nd year of Zhenyuan reign in the Tang Dynasty, a military governor in Hedong named Ma Sui took charge in the building of Longyan Temple. Other than being famous for distinct battle achievements, he was fond of songs and dances, and ever composed a song named Dingnan Melody to Li Shi, Emperor Dezong of the Tang Dynasty. Gong-drum Drama was performed by later generations in Longyan Temple on annual 16th day of the first lunar month, probably in memory of Ma Sui at first, and for rewarding deities afterwards.

The Gong-drum Drama is provided with nearly 100 traditional repertoires, most of which take history stories as the subject matter. The existing repertoires include Yue Yi's Quelling on the Qi State, Quelling on Xiqi, Banquet at Hongmen, and Three Visits to Zhuge Liang. Aria of the drama is recitative(a vocal passage of narrative text that a singer delivers with natural rhythms of speech), with more reciting and less singing which is not accompanied by stringed instruments. Drum, gong and Suona horn are used in the band. Every play is comprised of multiple sessions and provided with comparatively complicated stories, with more than 40 characters appearing on the stage and the duration of a play being around 4 hours. There were merely male characters in Gong-drum Drama in the early stage and it was hence called "Bachelor's Drama". Female characters began to appear in the drama in 1922 when two new repertoires (Three Visits to Zhuge Liang and Su Hu's Western Conquest) performed in Linyi County were added with two female characters: Xu's Mother and Deng Chanyu.

Since the aria, performance, setting of musical instruments and performing routines of Gong-drum Drama are provided with characteristics of those in the Song-Jin and Yuan Dynasties, this type of drama is of great significance in terms of comprehending the history of drama. Moreover, it has ever imposed influence on a variety of dramas and therefore is dubbed as “Living Fossil” in the history of drama. Gong-drum Drama is in imminent danger of extinction owning to the development of modern diversified music other than the application of hereditary system (Featuring a son or daughter’s carrying on the parents’ cause) in the troupe. Such factors have resulted in limited spreading of the drama and decreasing number of actors. Therefore, it has been a grave responsibility borne on the contemporary generation to protect and carry forward traditional Chinese civilization.