"Xi Liang Trick, Xi Liang Trick, Masquerade Hu Ren Fake Lion." Carved wood is made of head and tail, and gold plated eyes and silver teeth are attached. Fenxun sweater swings his ears, like coming from quicksand. Purple hair looked deeply at the two beards, encouraging the speech before jumping beam..."
This is a verse from Bai Juyi's "Western Liang trick", which truly describes the Liangzhou lion dance at that time.
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Liangzhou Lion Dance Wind and Fire In the New Year, Wuwei City Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Film and Television Tourism provided a picture
In fact, the lion dance "Xi Liang Trick" was originally created in the Sheng Tang Dynasty and was already dedicated to the imperial court before the Anshi Rebellion.
Fortunately, Bai Juyi recorded it in the poem.
Yuan Shu is 7 years younger than Bai Juyi, and Yuan Shu also wrote a poem "Xi Liang Trick". Before the Anshi Rebellion, Liangzhou was "I smelled the former Western Liangzhou, and the people were thick with mulberries." Pu Tao wine is cooked and happy, and the red and green flag zhu fan lou. Downstairs, when the lady is called Zhuo Nu, the name of the guest at the head of the building is mo. ”
It can be seen from this that during the Prosperous Tang Dynasty, Liangzhou could be described as densely populated, the people were rich, and the pavilions were lined up.
Of course, the prosperous economy has played a great role in promoting the local music and dance, and there is the "Western Liang Trick" in the Tang Ten Tricks.
Could it be that the development of Liangzhou music and dance was only because of the prosperous economy of Liangzhou at that time?
After the Western Han Dynasty, with the smooth flow of the Silk Road, caravans, envoys and scholars from India, Persia, Rome and other countries traveled back and forth between Liangzhou and Hexi, where the Central Plains culture and Western Region culture converged and integrated, and the music and dance of India, Arabia and the Western Regions and the Music and Dance of the Han Nationalities were mixed and integrated for a long time, forming Liangzhou music and dance such as lion dance.
From the former Liang to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Liangzhou and Hexi regions, with their unique geographical and cultural advantages, have made themselves a music and dance town while developing economically and socially stable, and their music and dance have spread far and wide, and their influence is deep and wide.
Liangzhou, since ancient times, has been a mixed place of Han and ethnic minorities. During the Five Liangs period, Liangzhou became a "melting pot of Chinese and Western music culture". "Xiliang Music Dance" was formed in Liangzhou during the Five Liang Period.
It should be noted that the "Xiliang" in the Xiliang Music Dance does not refer solely to the "Xiliang" created by Li Wei in the "Five Liangs", but refers to the entire Hexi region, which is equivalent to the "Hexi Music and Dance".
The real formation of Xiliang music dance was in the post-Liangluguang period.
In the Northern Liang period, the Western Liang music and dance was further developed.
Xiliang music and dance naturally had a major impact on the music and dance of the Tang Dynasty.
Mr. Chen Yinke, a famous historian and classical literature researcher in China, once studied the Western Liang music and dance, and he believed: "The Hu Le of the Tang Dynasty is more because of the Sui, and the Sui is more transmitted from the Northern Qi, and the Northern Qi inherits the Northern Wei. Of course, the Northern Wei Hule was introduced from Liangzhou and Hexi. Tracing back to the source, the source of court music and dance in the hundreds of years from the Northern Wei to the Tang Dynasty is closely related to Liangzhou and Hexi. ”
This shows the influence of Liangzhou on the music and dance of the Tang court.
Lion dance actually flourished in Liangzhou very early, and spread to Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty and became an indispensable program in court music and dance.
Even in the current Liangzhou, especially on some festive days, lion dances are often used to help, especially during the Spring Festival. The lion dance is dazzling and soaring, and it has always been the protagonist of the Spring Festival.
Liangzhou lion dance, generally two people cooperate to play a big lion, commonly known as "Tai Lion"; there is also a person playing a small lion performance, commonly known as "young lion". Even now, when Liangzhou people dress up as samurai, they still have the custom of dressing up as "Hu people", and first kick and punch, churn and jump to lure lions to dance.
The Liangzhou Shehuo is mighty and swept into the city to make a spring, and the "samurai" dressed as the Shehuo team still have the custom of dressing up as "Hu people". Courtesy of Wuwei Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism
Before and during the performance, the Liangzhou Lion Dance must set off firecrackers to cheer the lions. After a burst of firecrackers sounded, in the smoke, the lion with the light, heavy, fast and slow of the gong and drum, suddenly looked up, suddenly looked down, suddenly looked back, suddenly looked back, suddenly shook his head and tail, a variety of forms, interesting. The more intelligent can even imitate many of the movements of lions, such as licking hair, scratching their heads, rolling, etc., which are very vivid and realistic.
If it is a male and a female two large lions, when the performance reaches the climax, the female lion will generally have a "calving" performance. Before giving birth, the female lion will have various "prenatal signs", and then, the samurai who leads the lion will swing the hydrangea ball in front of the female lion's head, and then, the gong and drum in the performance hall are more urgent, the firecrackers are sounded in unison, only to see the female lion gradually stand up in the trembling of Cerso, raise her legs forward, and a lively and cute little lion will roll out from under the crotch, jumping and galloping, and the female lion can even give birth to five or six baby lions in succession.
Liangzhou lion dance now plays a lot of new tricks Yang Menyuan courtesy of the picture
The Liangzhou Lion Dance also has a thrilling and wonderful trick, that is, the Gaotai Lion Dance.
In the past, the Gaotai Lion Dance was mostly performed during the Spring Festival. Before the performance, a square tower about ten meters high is set up with a special long wooden stool, and the lion dancers hold hydrangeas in their hands to lead the lions, and in the sound of gongs, drums and firecrackers, the lions pick up the steps under the guidance of the hydrangeas, climb the wooden tower, and make various thrilling moves. Especially after climbing to the top of the tower, there is a wonderful performance of high difficulty. After the performance, the lion dancers will directly climb down to the top of the tower, and the lion will take the wooden stool and disassemble it layer by layer, as if playing acrobatics, which is very thrilling. It is said that in the 1960s, many places in Wuwei could still be seen.
Liangzhou music and dance is not only an important part of Chinese music and dance, but also a catalyst for promoting multi-ethnic integration, as a pearl shining in the treasure house of Wuliang culture, its artistic and historical value will forever remain in the annals of history.
Source: Phoenix Network Gansu Comprehensive