Tang Zhiping, representative inheritor of Shaodong Che Ma Deng
2023-03-21
Over the years, Tang Zhiping has devoted himself to the protection and inheritance of “Shaodong Che Ma Deng”, giving this originally forgotten “ancient culture” a “new pulse”.
Shaodong Che Ma Deng, a traditional folk opera in Shaodong, originated in the Ming Dynasty with a long history of more than 600 years. It was all the rage and almost became a household name from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Born in Huangjia Village of Yejiping Town in Shaodong City, Tang Zhiping was fond of watching Che Ma Deng when he was a child. He would go to grab the front seat early once hearing that there was Che Ma Deng.
At the age of 19, Tang Zhiping came up with the idea of organizing a Che Ma Deng team in his own village.
He bought 32 lanterns by borrowing 500 yuan from their local credit cooperative and cut down more than 30 small trees to make the lanterns’ handles with his cousin. Then he started the “soldiers recruiting” in the village by lobbying handsome girls and young men repeatedly and asking his uncle Tang Xinjia, his father Tang Xingzhao and his neighbor Ning Hongfa as teachers of the Flower-drum Opera to teach them to sing a minor, play gongs and drums, play musical instruments, make lanterns, etc.
With professional training for over one month, the team organized by Tang Zhiping received unanimous praise from the local people. Many classic stories like Journey to the West and the White Snake became known to more local people through their humorous and interesting performance.
However, with the constant strong impact on agricultural civilization caused by industrial civilization and information civilization, the market of Shaodong Che Ma Deng shrinked sharply. Under the influence of the migrant boom, young people in the village left Yejiping Town in order to make a living. Moreover, the beautiful ladies playing Huadan had been married, and young men had to think about another career.
With a minimum of 50 to 60 team members, each of whom had to be professional, Tang Zhiping’s team barely lasted until the year of 2000 and had to be discouraged, which became a pain for Tang Zhiping for many years.
At the age of 19, Tang Zhiping came up with the idea of organizing a Che Ma Deng team in his own village.
He bought 32 lanterns by borrowing 500 yuan from their local credit cooperative and cut down more than 30 small trees to make the lanterns’ handles with his cousin. Then he started the “soldiers recruiting” in the village by lobbying handsome girls and young men repeatedly and asking his uncle Tang Xinjia, his father Tang Xingzhao and his neighbor Ning Hongfa as teachers of the Flower-drum Opera to teach them to sing a minor, play gongs and drums, play musical instruments, make lanterns, etc.
With professional training for over one month, the team organized by Tang Zhiping received unanimous praise from the local people. Many classic stories like Journey to the West and the White Snake became known to more local people through their humorous and interesting performance.
However, with the constant strong impact on agricultural civilization caused by industrial civilization and information civilization, the market of Shaodong Che Ma Deng shrinked sharply. Under the influence of the migrant boom, young people in the village left Yejiping Town in order to make a living. Moreover, the beautiful ladies playing Huadan had been married, and young men had to think about another career.
With a minimum of 50 to 60 team members, each of whom had to be professional, Tang Zhiping’s team barely lasted until the year of 2000 and had to be discouraged, which became a pain for Tang Zhiping for many years.
On January 1, 2022, Tang Zhiping received phone calls from Shaodong Cultural Center and the office of Shaodong Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, which hoped that he could bring Che Ma Deng back to the vision of Shaodong citizens. Tang Zhiping readily agreed.
In various ways like buying props, arranging outfits and appealing to relatives and partners, Tang Zhiping organized a team of more than 70 people in less than a month. He rehearsed day and night with his team, and invited teachers from Shaodong City Cultural Center and Shaodong City Flower-drum Opera Inheritance Center for door-to-door guidance, so that Shaodong residents could feel the lively atmosphere during the Spring Festival.
On the third night of the first lunar month in 2022, Tang Zhiping with his Che Ma Deng team staged excellent performance in Huangjia Village and Renfeng Village. They were warmly welcomed by the local villagers.
In the first lunar month of 2022, the Che Ma Deng team was invited to perform in urban areas, sub-districts and communities, enterprises, factories and mines, towns and villages to convey happiness and blessings. More than 100 performances were staged in total, with each of them attracting hundreds of people.
This intangible cultural heritage project that had been known to few people for over 20 years is reviving in full bloom. From the first day of the first lunar month to the 15th day of this year, Tang Zhiping organized the Che Ma Deng team to perform for more than 150 times. Therefore, Tang Zhiping was awarded the title of the “Outstanding Representative Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in Shaodong City”.
In various ways like buying props, arranging outfits and appealing to relatives and partners, Tang Zhiping organized a team of more than 70 people in less than a month. He rehearsed day and night with his team, and invited teachers from Shaodong City Cultural Center and Shaodong City Flower-drum Opera Inheritance Center for door-to-door guidance, so that Shaodong residents could feel the lively atmosphere during the Spring Festival.
On the third night of the first lunar month in 2022, Tang Zhiping with his Che Ma Deng team staged excellent performance in Huangjia Village and Renfeng Village. They were warmly welcomed by the local villagers.
In the first lunar month of 2022, the Che Ma Deng team was invited to perform in urban areas, sub-districts and communities, enterprises, factories and mines, towns and villages to convey happiness and blessings. More than 100 performances were staged in total, with each of them attracting hundreds of people.
This intangible cultural heritage project that had been known to few people for over 20 years is reviving in full bloom. From the first day of the first lunar month to the 15th day of this year, Tang Zhiping organized the Che Ma Deng team to perform for more than 150 times. Therefore, Tang Zhiping was awarded the title of the “Outstanding Representative Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection in Shaodong City”.
