Is it true that some people say that Peking Opera is not as popular as Henan Opera? What do you think?

Let me tell the truth. I hope you don’t mind. If you are not satisfied, you can express your opinion.

Peking Opera is the quintessence of the nation, but it was decided by a group of literati who have lived in Beijing for a long time. It is not recognized by the people across the country. At least I never think that Peking Opera is good. It is designated as the quintessence of the country simply because of its convenient location. Besides, before the Eight Model Operas, how many people outside Beijing knew about Peking Opera? How many people outside Beijing have heard of Peking Opera? It was only due to political needs that the people across the country had to listen to the eight model operas, so that they could understand Peking Opera. Before that, Peking Opera was only limited to the city of Beijing, and its scope of influence was far smaller than the three Bangzi Operas (Henan Bangzi, Hebei Bangzi, and Shandong Bangzi). The Bangzi operas in these three provinces belong to the same type of opera, and the singing styles are similar. Henan Bangzi was later renamed Henan Opera. People in the provinces who like to listen to Bangzi Opera basically like Henan Opera. This is a natural phenomenon without any political factors. Of course, the Liyuan Chun produced by Henan TV has been performed on stage by famous operas across the country, such as Huangmei Opera, Yue Opera, Qinqiang Opera, Kunqu Opera, Pingju Opera, Siping Diao, Daoqing Diao, Yue Diao, and Quju. They all sound very pleasant to the ears. In contrast, the popularity of Peking Opera is indeed inferior to that of local operas.

Peking Opera has become the quintessence of the nation, and everyone with a discerning eye knows that it is caring. If Beijing were not the capital, Peking Opera could still be the quintessence of the country.

But in the past, it was still modern. Henan Opera was far more popular than Peking Opera. The audience of Henan Opera was 30% more than the audience of Peking Opera. This is well-founded. Someone specially investigated it, not only in mainland China, but also in Taiwan. , Henan Opera is also the first type of opera, and Henan Opera has been featured in the highest palace of world art, the Golden Hall in Vienna, and tours around the world every year. Westerners call Henan Opera "Oriental Aria".

In the 1950s, during the Korean War, Chang Xiangyu, a master of Henan opera, toured the country. Everywhere he went, the streets were deserted. Therefore, Henan opera was not limited to Henan and surrounding areas. In the end, Chang Xiangyu Master Yu donated a MiG fighter plane to New China. These achievements were only achieved by Henan Opera. Before liberation or even longer, where was Peking Opera? It was just an ordinary regional opera, but the status of Henan Opera at that time It is also much higher than the current Peking Opera. However, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Peking Opera relied on the advantages of the capital to develop rapidly. Because of the overall development of the country's drama, Peking Opera in the capital was finally defined as the quintessence of the country, and Peking Opera was applied to become an intangible culture. Heritage has made Peking Opera famous, but this is only the advantage of reputation over Henan Opera. In other aspects, such as scale and audience, Henan Opera is unshakable, especially in terms of income. Almost every Peking Opera society is in a In a state of loss, we can only continue to perform with state subsidies. On the other hand, Henan Opera has more than 100,000 employees, but it is rarely the case with Peking Opera. Therefore, nationwide, people have little regard for other operas, including Peking Opera. Not so much enthusiasm.

To get back to the subject, Peking Opera is like what the rich think of as art. It has truly penetrated the masses on a large scale and is only Henan Opera that has taken root at the grassroots level. Not many ordinary people are willing to spend money to watch Peking Opera in theaters. Just ask how many Peking Opera groups are willing to set up outdoor performances in rural areas, not many. As for Henan opera, almost all folk Henan opera troupes have experienced open-air performances in the countryside. This is the difference between the two operas.

In short, in terms of fame, Peking Opera deserves to be the first, and in terms of mass base, Henan Opera is much higher than Peking Opera. "People who say this must not understand either type of drama, and have never studied either type of drama.

Need to say this? Naturally, Henan Opera is more popular than Peking Opera.

The reason is very simple: to put it bluntly, the basic function of opera is to let the people appreciate it. Whichever drama has a larger audience will become more popular. From the current point of view, the audience of Henan Opera is obviously larger than that of Peking Opera. The reason is very simple. Peking opera is performed in theaters, and it is very easy to count the number of people who listen to it. Almost everyone knows about the current situation that Peking Opera troupes rely on state finances to survive. Through Guo Degang's mouth.

Henan opera is like wild grass growing wildly. It can survive and grow with a little wind and a little rain. Judging from "Spring in the Liyuan" and many opera programs, there are many people singing Henan opera on stage, especially children, and they all sing well. In some families, one person who likes to sing Henan opera will attract the whole family to hum a few lines, and even influence the children to sing along with Henan opera. This kind of mass base is unmatched by Peking Opera. In terms of plot, the plot of Henan opera is close to people's lives and is easy for children and beginners to grasp. Singing Henan Opera is just like speaking in normal life, and you don’t need to learn any Huguang accent or Zhongzhou rhyme, so it’s easy to get started. With some talent, you can quickly become competent, which can easily give people a sense of success.

Look at the data from the Ministry of Culture. Except for Henan Province, the whole country (provincial-level first, second, and third regiments, municipal-level first, second, and third regiments, county-level first, second, and third regiments, etc.)* **There are more than 300 Henan Opera Troupes and more than 1,300 private Henan Opera Troupes, employing more than 100,000 people.

From a geographical point of view, the central region, Henan, Anhui, Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Shandong, as well as parts of Jiangsu and Hubei, and the northwest regions of Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang are all covered by Henan Opera. It can be said that the audience of Henan Opera is The acting group is the largest in the country. Peking Opera troupes are mainly concentrated in Beijing, and those from other places are very few or have almost no reputation, and there is almost no room for survival. You can only perform in theaters, and there is almost no audience at the grassroots level. In this case, if you say it is popular, how popular can it be?

Of course Peking Opera also has advantages. In terms of artistic research, Peking Opera has made many and very high achievements. After all, it was loved by the aristocrats of the Qing government in the past, and later it was blessed by the capital and supported by national policies. It is natural for literati to pursue and study it and achieve achievements. Peking Opera has a very high status. In history, it has produced artistic masters such as Mei Lanfang and Zhou Xinfang, as well as classic works such as "Silang Visits His Mother", "Farewell My Concubine" and "Suolin Bag", so it is respected as Chinese dramas are influential in China and the world. It needs to be pointed out that being influential does not mean it is more popular than Henan Opera. It only means that Peking Opera was once "broader" in our ancestors.

Am I right? Like to leave a comment

Let’s put it this way, Chinese opera is at a low ebb nowadays. There are few theatergoers, and they tend to be older. Some time ago I watched a cross talk show about a newcomer, and Guo Degang said something in it. He said that opera is currently at a low ebb, and studying opera is basically equivalent to not having enough to eat. But Yu Opera is an exception. By learning Henan opera, you can not only easily support your family, but also live a pretty good life. This is the difference between Peking Opera and Henan Opera. Henan opera has a large mass base. Folks in Henan still often invite small private Henan opera troupes to perform in halls. So they have a market. Peking Opera is different. Except for the Peking Opera Troupe within the system, the state provides salaries. The private Peking Opera troupes are starving to death. Of course, it may also mean that Beijing is more fashionable and Henan is more backward and traditional. I'm from Henan, and I don't go to the theater very much. I don’t even watch Peking Opera or Henan Opera. Because it does not meet the needs of modern people, the pace is too slow, and the progress is too slow. But as a Henanese, if you want me to sing a few pieces of Henan opera, it’s absolutely fine. Although I don’t like it, I can hear it everywhere. I’ve been hearing it since I was a child, and it’s hard to think about it. The mass base is indeed very broad.

Thank you for your question. But this question is debatable, because this type of question can easily lead to trolls attacking each other. Facts have also proved that the two parties supporting Peking Opera and those supporting Henan Opera are already at war. I don’t want to answer such a high-risk question, because no matter which side you support or even remain neutral, you will incur refutation or even abuse from the other side. But as a theater lover, I can't help but express my views on this issue.

First of all, I would like to state that as a Hebei native who works and lives in Northeast China, I love Peking Opera and Henan Opera equally and have no prejudice against these two operas. But I feel it is necessary to refute a few fallacies about Peking Opera first.

First, the so-called "Peking Opera benefits from Beijing's status as the capital." The implication is that if Peking Opera is not related to the capital Beijing, its status may not be higher than Henan Opera. First of all, unlike Yu opera, Peking opera is not a local opera in Beijing but a national opera. Secondly, the status of Peking Opera was officially established in Peking during the Republic of China, not in Beijing after the founding of the People's Republic of China. To give an inappropriate example, referring to the origin of Peking Opera, how come Yuan Shikai (including those who please him), a former minister of the Qing Dynasty and a prominent figure in the Republic of China, did not make the Henan Opera in his hometown popular?

The second is the so-called "Peking Opera depends entirely on government support, otherwise it will not be as vital as Henan Opera and other local operas." First of all, as mentioned just now, the national quintessence status of Peking Opera and its important international status were not established after the founding of the People's Republic of China, but were established early in the Republic of China. Even if there is so-called "support", it has already been there. Secondly, as an important art form and traditional culture, financial support from the state is not only understandable, but also very necessary. In addition, in fact, the state not only supports Peking Opera, but also protects and supports many local operas, including Henan Opera. There is no need to favor one over the other.

The third is the so-called "the mass base of Henan Opera is better than that of Peking Opera". First of all, the relevant departments have never compiled data on the so-called "mass base of Peking Opera and local operas" and will not do so in the future because it is unnecessary. Just like if there are three children in a family, do parents conduct surveys to see which child is more popular? Secondly, most of the so-called audience numbers, ratings and other data proposed by some people are subjective speculations, and none of them are convincing.

The fourth is the so-called "Peking Opera audiences are all elderly." I even expressed my disdain for such a conclusion. Let’s not talk about other provinces, just the three northeastern provinces, Inner Mongolia, Hebei, Tianjin, and Hubei. There are many Peking Opera fans around me born in the 70s and 80s. There are many other common sense mistakes about Peking Opera, so I won’t bother to refute them one by one. What’s even more regrettable is that many people know nothing about Peking Opera. Just because they don’t understand or understand it, they simply and rudely say “I don’t like Peking Opera” or “Peking Opera is not good.” This once again reflects how terrible it is to be uneducated. However, this also shows once again that a person must accumulate cultural literacy in order to have a certain level of appreciation.

Back to the question. First of all, we firmly oppose and despise regional fighting and mutual strife.

There are too many similar conflicts and mutual attacks between regions on the Internet. Many of those who stir up disputes are parochialists with ulterior motives. Besides, the word "fire" itself is very vague and cannot be quantified. Therefore, there is no practical significance in arguing whether Peking Opera or Henan Opera is more popular. Secondly, Peking Opera and Henan Opera each have their own merits. There is nothing wrong with liking either one. There is no need to attack and tear each other apart, let alone differentiate between them. As early as 1956, Comrade Mao Zedong put forward the important thesis "Let a hundred flowers bloom" and the guiding principles for literary and artistic work. Both "Shiro Visits His Mother" and "Chaoyanggou" are both endlessly listenable, so why do I have to give up one of them?

I am from Henan, and I can say a few words. To be honest, without knowing the plot, sometimes I can’t understand what is being sung and said in the Henan opera. But, this is sometimes, not all. As for Peking Opera, except for the more familiar arias found in a few examples, I can't understand a single word of the rest if I don't read the subtitles, including the dialogue. If you want to speak Mandarin, you can understand more than 95% of what is said on the Xinwen Network without looking at the TV screen. I was confused by this comparison. Some people say that Peking Opera is sung in Mandarin. Isn’t the news network I listen to in Mandarin?

Henan Opera is just like Henan dialect, and people who can understand it can be found all over the country. Several migrations in history have caused Henan people to leave their homes and go to places far away from their homeland, such as Xinjiang, Fujian, and Heilongjiang. This enables the Henan dialect to be promoted outside Henan. At the same time, it also enabled Henan Opera to be spread outside Henan. Henan TV station's Liyuan Spring column attracted Henan opera lovers from all over the country to come and compete. They range from an eighty-year-old man to a three-year-old naughty boy. It can be seen that there are many fans of Henan opera. The impact is profound. Let’s talk about Peking Opera again. The singing, singing, and playing are meticulous and do not lose everyone’s style. Even raising hands and stamping feet shows the perfection of art. The revolutionary model opera has a far-reaching influence across the country. Personally, I feel that the two operas are not enemies, but good brothers. If I have to say whether they are good or bad, in terms of penetration, Henan Opera is better than Peking Opera in reaching young people.

Peking Opera cannot be compared with Henan Opera. First of all, Hebei, Shanxi, and Henan Bangzi all developed from Shaanxi Bangzi. The five northwest provinces are led by Qin Opera! You should understand how big its mass base is. If there were no other operas, I believe people would listen to Yu opera that has been passed down for thousands of years, because what they sing is the voice of nature and the cry of China for three thousand years. It was the prosperous age of Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang! Peking Opera is the so-called quintessence of the nation that has been artificially processed, with accents and tunes, to serve whoever it is! I believe that if 1 million of China’s 1.4 billion people agree with Peking Opera, it will be great. It is incomparable to Henan Opera!

It depends on the region.

For example, Henan, northern Anhui, Hebei, Shandong and other places have similar cultures such as food and language. Therefore, most people in these areas like Henan Opera, and they never tire of listening to it and are easily fascinated.

Because it is a local opera, people in other places may not be too fond of it. For example, people in southern Anhui like Huangmei opera, Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas like Yue opera, etc. People in every place like local operas because these local operas use local operas. It is performed and sung in the local language and the locals can understand it. People in other places have not lived in that language and living environment for a long time, so it is normal for them not to like it. For example, in Henan opera, they like to use false accents, such as red faces, black faces, niche ones, glamorous ones, etc. The accents they sing are different from the accents we usually speak. Therefore, people from Henan and other places sound very charming, but people from other places may sound good but prefer their own local operas.

Peking Opera is generally more popular in Beijing and Tianjin. This type of opera, whether it is sung or spoken, is all written in Mandarin and can be understood by people from anywhere. The vast majority of Chinese people know that Peking Opera is the quintessence of the country and one of the representatives of the Peking Opera world. It is estimated that many people know Mei Lanfang, but some people may not know Henan Opera. This is its influence. Therefore, nationwide, Peking Opera is more popular than Henan Opera.

Yes, almost everyone in Henan can sing a few lines of Henan Opera, and there are many young people who like Henan Opera. On the other hand, although Peking Opera is called the quintessence of the country, its music is high-pitched and low-key, and most of the audience is elderly, even middle-aged listeners. Not much...