Exploration of Sichuan Opera Art in Ma 'anshan Temple Murals

Ma 'an Temple in Xinyi Town, Youxian District (formerly Zengjiaya Village, Liu Jia Town) was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, with a history of more than 600 years. This ancient temple, which was listed as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units in 20 13, was not originally used as a Buddhist place to worship bodhisattvas. It has experienced a series of complex evolution from the ancestral temple to the Yi-ology and then to the Buddhist temple, leaving many legends.

Sichuan Opera Mural "Three Auditions"

Elements of Sichuan Opera in Ma 'an Temple Murals

Ma 'an Temple is the ancestral temple of the Wang family, which was built in Hongwu period of Ming Dynasty, and was renovated and expanded after Wang Dongyang entered the imperial academy in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty. It has also given the family temple a new function: to run the family school "Longqiao Academy" to recruit children from nearby areas. According to local chronicles and Wang Jiapu records, "pavilions and pavilions along the way are exquisitely carved", and these buildings are "carved with beams and painted buildings, with high eaves and high teeth, magnificent".

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, most of these buildings were destroyed by war. During the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, Ma 'an Temple began to be rebuilt and gradually evolved into a place to worship Buddha. Finally, this closed building with two rooms and four halls was formed, with a total length of115m, a total width of 55.2m and an area of 6,348 square meters. It is the largest and most completely preserved ancient architectural complex in Mianyang.

The design and exquisite structure of Ma 'an Temple are rare. Among the four halls, the Heavenly King Hall, the Ursa Major Hall and the Guanyin Hall are all cantilever buildings with a length of 22 meters and a width of 12 meters. Including the Jade Emperor Hall, the sculpture is simple and elegant; Many eaves columns are decorated with bucket arches, which are both beautiful and practical and have obvious local characteristics. On both sides are 13 rooms, which are symmetrical and rigorous. In front of the theater building, the high-foot-column foundation is adopted, the stage protrudes outward, and the two sides and wings contract inward, which can meet the needs of the troupe's performance and audience.

The 10 stone tablet of Qing Dynasty preserved in Ma 'an Temple has high archaeological value, the most significant of which is the stone tablet of Yi-ology in the seventh year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty, which records the purpose and learning rules of Yi-ology at that time. For example, "if the library teacher is slightly delayed in other things, it will be difficult for the disciples to finish their homework in one day, and it will be difficult for the teachers to have a rest." "The end of right and wrong should be hard work." Some plaques also promote teachers' morality and style, such as "respecting teachers and stressing morality" and "peaches and plums are everywhere". According to legend, Ye Shanglin, a scholar in Mianzhou in Qing Dynasty, once presided over Yi School and preached and taught. There is also a statue of Wenchang Emperor carved from ebony. Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, Wang's people walked for days and nights and invited statues from Zitong Temple. The statue was bright that night, and soon after, Wang Dongyang, the founder of Yi-ology, was a scholar. These are precious materials for studying the ancient local education system, and they are also enlightening for running schools today.

The most historical and cultural value of Ma 'an Temple is murals. There are more than 200 murals, including Buddhist stories, social life portrayal, fairy tales, Sichuan opera themes and so on. The murals of Sichuan Opera are mainly distributed in theaters, and the creation time of these murals lasted from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty to the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. Murals are everywhere, no matter walls, beams and columns, or checkered patterns. Ren Qizhen, the former librarian of the Municipal Museum who has been studying the murals of the temple for a long time, believes that these murals are mainly meticulous and colorful, with superb skills, elegant lines, smooth descriptions and vivid images, which are precious materials for studying the painting history in the middle and late Qing Dynasty. In particular, the Buddhist paintings such as the Twenty-four Immortals and the Eighteen Arhats in the Hall of Daxiong are based on the techniques of Wu Daozi in the Tang Dynasty, with meticulous brushwork and bright colors, which have the charm of "Five Dynasties prevailing" and reflect the superb skills of craftsmen and artists.

The murals with the theme of Sichuan Opera are even more unique. Although there are only over 30 murals of this kind, among the temples in Sichuan, it may be unique to embody the art of Sichuan Opera in the form of murals. Therefore, the murals of Ma 'anmiao Sichuan Opera are important reference materials for studying the origin and development of Sichuan Opera. There are many Sichuan Opera plays and contents in these murals, such as Biography of Chinese Literature, Demonization of Zhong Kui, Fishing by Jiang Taigong, Three Dramas of Lu, etc., and there are also records of troupes performing here. The picture is vivid and the record is clear. Unfortunately, due to the age and poor protection, some murals have fallen off and faded, which makes it difficult to study.

Sichuan Opera Characters in Murals

On the Origin and Development of Sichuan Opera from its Murals

There is a sentence in "Song Yu asks the king of Chu", "He is Xialiba, and there are thousands of people in it." The Xialiba people not only correspond to Chun Xue in the article, but also reveal that at least during the Warring States period, there were folk artists performing in Bashu, and thousands of people watched the performance. During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a satirical comedy "Anger Fight" in Sichuan. From the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties, there appeared folk performances such as "Mai Liang Xiu Qi", "Guan Kou Shen" and "Liu Pi Zumai", and even a full-time troupe, which was once "the highest in Sichuan".

The real Sichuan Opera was developed in the immigration tide of "Huguang filling Sichuan" in the early Qing Dynasty. Immigrants from Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Shaanxi, Jiangxi, Hunan and other places also brought Kunqu Opera, Huqin, Tanxi and Gaoqiang. Together with the local traditional Sichuan Lantern Opera, they entered the stage and blended with each other, and finally formed five vocal arts which combined Gaoqiang, Kunqu, Huqin (Pihuang), Tanxi (Bangzi) and Sichuan Lantern Opera.

The murals of Sichuan Opera in Ma 'an Temple fully express the integration of Sichuan Opera with foreign dramas in singing, performance and repertoire. For example, the mural "Han Wengong Going through Customs", which originated from Shaanxi Qin Opera, tells the story of Han Yu, then Prime Minister Pei Du, marching in Sima during the Tang Dezong period, opposing the emperor's worship of Buddha and offering sacrifices to bones, saying that it was a waste of people and money, and the Buddhist emperor would not live long, so Pei Du pleaded for his life and was exiled to Chaozhou as a secretariat. He went to Languan, Qinling, and it snowed heavily. Han Yu lamented: "If the emperor doesn't kill me, the emperor will kill me." His nephew, Han Xiangzi, one of the legendary Eight Immortals, came and drew a golden light with his sword. The snow melted and the mountain road was clear, so that he could go to his post on time. Later, he became Han's assistant minister of rites. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of Minister of rites, posthumous title Wengong. Han Wengong, who was widely circulated in Shaanxi and Henan, passed through the customs and was transplanted into Sichuan Opera with immigrants.

Ma 'anshan Temple mural Sichuan Opera, Three Chapters Trial, Yutangchun transplanted from Kunqu Opera and Peking Opera, and Bangzi spread in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan. According to legend, Wang Jinglong, the third son of Wang Qiong, a veteran of the Ming Chenghua, Hongzhi, Zhengde and Jiajing Dynasties, was infatuated with Yu Tangchun (Susan), a famous prostitute in Nanjing, and lived in Guandi Temple after being poor. Susan gave him a gift to help him return to China to study, but she was sold to Shen, a rich businessman in Shanxi, as the wife of his concubine brothel. Shen's wife Pi Shi had an affair with Zhao Jiansheng, who killed Shen but falsely accused Susan of poisoning. Hong Tong county magistrate received one thousand two hundred pieces of silver, and Susan was sentenced to death and sent to Taiyuan. After graduating from high school, Wang Jinglong became a policeman in the Eight Houses, and was ordered to investigate the case. He tried the case in three courts, rehabilitated the unjust case, and reunited with Susan who was rescued. Yu Tang Chun was written by Feng Menglong in the late Ming Dynasty. From the zaju Wan Zhen Ji in the late Ming Dynasty, the Yue Opera Yu Bangji, and the Qin Opera to the Kunqu Opera in the early Qing Dynasty, all of them are listed as enlightened operas by Beijing Opera. This work has spread to all kinds of dramas with similar plots in China, which has far-reaching influence in the history of drama. In this mural of Ma 'an, the presiding judge Wang Jinglong is gorgeous, young, handsome and dignified. The local official on the right is an old man with a solemn face; I can't see clearly in the middle. The people tried in the hall are very embarrassed, and it is difficult to distinguish between people and ghosts; On the other hand, it should be that Susan is locked in the cage on the right, as if yelling and eager to come out. There are many people watching. Some people say that this mural is a fragment of the Mulan Opera, but the author has read the book "Mulan saves the mother" edited by Wang Enfang, and found no relevant plot.

In similar murals, the transplanted Sichuan Opera plays include Golden Toad, Three Sides by Lu, and Zhong Kui Demon. And "Liu Hai Xi Jin Chan" turned out to be a folk story related to Taoism. It is said that there is a Jin Chan in the loofah well in Changde City, Hunan Province, and people who have a way can fly to immortality through the white light of Jin Chan; Although young Liu Hai is poor, she is kind, hardworking and filial to her mother. She saved a fox while chopping wood on the mountain. The fox became a beautiful woman, Hu Xiuying, and married Liu Hai. The fox spat out a treasure bead as bait for Liu Hai and hung it in the loofah well. After Jin Chan takes the bait, he will help Liu Hai become immortal to repay the kindness. This story was first popular in the parade of greeting the god of wealth with folk drama and social fire in Huguang area, and was later transplanted into Sichuan opera. On the fifth day of the Spring Festival, the custom of greeting the god of wealth with social fire is still performed every year in A?vagho?a town of Zitong. Lu's "Three Plays in Bai Mudan" was originally a fairy tale, and later it evolved into a drum book in Henan, followed by the Bangzi Opera and then the Sichuan Opera.

Sichuan Opera Mural "Chinese Biography"

On the Inheritance of Mianyang Sichuan Opera from the Murals of Ma 'an Temple

From the murals of Sichuan Opera in Maanshan Temple, it can be seen that Sichuan Opera experienced initial creation and long-term integration and exchange during the early Qing Dynasty. Through the efforts of several generations of artists, by the time the theater murals were restored in Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty, they had been stably formed and widely developed. The repertoire of Sichuan Opera is fixed, the scenes are grand, the costumes are bright and beautiful, and the characters are vivid and vivid. This shows that the troupe at that time had performed frequently in this area.

This is also the case. After the first year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (1862), in 1, Yang Shunwu, a wealthy businessman from nearby Taipingchang (now Jianhua Township, Youxian District), founded the anti-propaganda drama department. A few years later, he sold the troupe to Wang, the township head, and renamed it Ronghua Drama Club. In the 30th year of the Republic of China (1940), the commander-in-chief of Paoge in Mianyang bought the troupe and renamed it Yan 'an Drama Department. After liberation, it was taken over by Song Ya Farmers Association and changed to Song Ya Township People's Theatre. 1954, Mianyang County Committee issued a document to establish Mianyang County People's Theatre. This troupe has been active on the stage of Sichuan Opera until 1992 when Fucheng District and Youxian District were separated, and many of its actors were still acting.

As an integral part of Sichuan Opera, Mianyang's contribution to Sichuan Opera art should first be promoted by Li Diaoyuan. He mainly lived in the prosperous period of Qianlong, and all kinds of dramas represented by Peking Opera flourished unprecedentedly. He advocates that the creation and performance of drama should conform to human feelings, be brave in innovation, have their own families, be self-contained, learn from each other's strong points and avoid formulation. According to the textual research of Mianyang literature and history experts, Li Diaoyuan once adapted the legendary scripts of Ming and Qing Dynasties such as Spring and Autumn Match, Huatiancuo and Bitter Festival Story into Sichuan Opera. Li Li Weng's modern literati dramas such as Kite Wrong, Meaning in China, Naihetian, Phoenix Seeking Phoenix, Clever Reunion and Flounder were transplanted into Sichuan Opera for promotion. He also wrote many of his own plays, and directed the Jia Ling Troupe to rehearse and tour. These dramas include the classic Sichuan operas Hongmei Ji, Fifteen Passes and Biography of Han Zhen. It can be seen that Li has made great contributions to the introduction of other operas, the transplantation of Sichuan Opera, the innovation of local Sichuan Opera and the theory and practice of developing Sichuan Opera.

Li was exiled to Xinjiang after being found guilty in the fifty years of Qing Qianlong (1785). He spent 12 thousand silver to atone for his sins before he could return to his hometown to live. He died in the seventh year of Jiaqing in Qing Dynasty (1802) and lived in his hometown for 17 years. During this period, whether the drama masters took their families to perform in JOE, Liu Jiahe, Taipingchang and other places in the "Xiwozi" Youxian District, and whether they visited and guided the reconstruction of the Saddle Temple, all these need to be explored continuously. But in any case, Li Diaoyuan and Ma 'anmiao Sichuan Opera murals have written a brilliant chapter in the history of Sichuan Opera. (Chen Heping/map)