The picture shows the scene of the ninja mouth back pole performance. Photo by Zhao Liang
Zhongxin Network Tangshan March 20 Title: "Back" out of the century-old folk skills: "back pole" in the folk "rejuvenation"
Author Bai Yunshui Meng Chao
After breakfast, in the village of Ninzikou in Yinzhuang Township, Qianxi County, Tangshan City, Hebei Province, a clear roar broke the calm of the small mountain village. Villagers know that even if it is not on the New Year's Festival, the back pole artists here will occasionally take out guys and heads and practice.
Ninzikou Village is located in the eastern part of Qianxi County, backed by Yanshan Mountain and on the banks of the Luan River, and has lived on the Luan River for generations. The people here are simple and the people are hospitable, and the unique temple tradition and living customs here make the ninja mouth back pole a typical example.
The Ninzi mouth back pole originated in the Qing Dynasty and has a history of more than 200 years. It is a more unique form of folk flower party, the main prop is a pair of iron frames that can be chimericed up and down. During the performance, the lower part of the iron frame is tied to the waist of the strong man playing the theatrical character, and the frame is tied to 1 to 3 children playing theatrical characters. The person with the back pole is called the lower corner, the child tied to the top is called the upper corner, and the upper and lower corners are cooperated, and the drum beats are performed with broken steps, and the scene is lively and wonderful.
On that day, the person standing in the middle of this group of back pole artists was called Li Guojun, 49 years old this year, and he was an authentic farmer. Influenced by his father,Li Guojun has liked to blow since he was a child, and is not only the inheritor of the back pole skill, but also the "head of the back pole club" here. In 2018, he was identified as the representative inheritor of the fifth batch of intangible cultural heritage projects in Hebei Province, "Ninzikou Back Pole".
"Now the content of the often performed are "Qin Xianglian", "Erdu Mei", "Wusong Dadian", "Meng Liang Moving Soldiers", "Picking Jade Bracelet", "Banana Fan", "Wang Lao Dao Catching Demons", etc. In the annual flower exhibition, the back rod is always favored and won the most applause." Li Guojun said that listening to the elders in the village, the back pole artists here are often invited to go out to perform. By the 1980s, Ninjikou had participated in more folk events and began to achieve success in various large-scale cultural events.
Over the years, in addition to leading the back pole performance team to give wonderful performances, Li Guojun also brought out more than 20 apprentices. Li Haoyu, the sixth-generation inheritor of the ninja mouth back pole, is the son of Li Guojun and a college student majoring in Na Na.
The picture shows the small actor performing the ninja mouth back pole performing makeup. Photo by Zhao Liang
"From a young age, I have a deep affection for the back rod, and the university chose a related major to continue to pass on this skill." Li Haoyu said that on the basis of retaining traditional characteristics, he wants to integrate the back pole performance into some modern elements, and use more media to promote the back pole art.
Li Haoyu said that the ancient ninja characters are all old repertoire, although classic, but rarely new. According to the thinking of their generations, in order to maintain a stronger vitality, it is essential to update the repertoire and performance form, "for the elderly, this may be a bold idea, but it is a very challenging and attractive thing for me."
Today, there are more than 2,500 people in the village of Ninzikou, and even if they can't perform on the back pole, they can hum a few pieces of music. In the eyes of the villagers of Ninzikou Village, the back pole is handed down from the ancestors and is the spiritual wealth that the whole village cannot give up.
"I hope that through our efforts, we will bring the ninja mouth back rod out of the country in the future, so that the world can feel the charm of this traditional skill." Li Guojun said with full expectation. (End)