Yuju Opera

Yuju Opera

Yuju, or Henan Opera, is a traditional opera originating in Henan Province with wide popularity. It is also called Henan bangzi because the performance is accompanied with bangzi ("clappers") made of jujube wood. With a history of more than 100 years, it is one of the five major opera schools in China together with Peking Opera, Yueju Opera, Pingju Opera, and Huangmei Opera.

Yuju Opera was a highly influential genre during Emperor Qianlong's reign (1736-1795) in the Qing Dynasty. As it developed, it took in the elements of many other opera schools and extensively absorbed the folk music, singing art, and short lyrics popular in Henan, growing into a distinct local opera featuring straightforward plain expressions, a rich variety of topics and contents, and fine and nuanced sentiments.

Immersed in the Central Plains culture, especially the Yellow River culture, the opera gives off a unique Henan style in its repertoire, performance, characterization, expression, and melody. Unconstrained, cadent, and articulate, this enchantingly expressive art form makes a valuable asset and a crown jewel in China's large pool of local operas for its large number of troupes and programs, vast audience base, and great economic benefits. In May 2006, Yuju Opera was placed on China's first list of national intangible cultural heritage.

豫劇

豫劇是發源于河南省、流傳于全國各地的傳統戲劇，因為其音樂伴奏用棗木梆子打拍，故又名“河南梆子”，已有上百年的傳承歷史，與京劇、越劇、評劇、黃梅戲并稱為“中國五大戲曲劇種”。

豫劇早在清朝乾隆年間就已成為中國極具影響力的戲曲劇種之一。豫劇在生成和發展時期，汲取了多種戲曲劇種的藝術因素，廣泛吸收河南民間流行的音樂、曲藝說唱和俗曲小令，形成了樸直淳厚、豐富細膩、富于鄉土氣息的劇種特色。

豫劇藝術長期受中原文化特別是黃河流域地域文化影響，在演出劇目、舞臺表演、人物塑造、表述方式、音樂唱腔等方面形成了獨特的河南地方風格，唱腔鏗鏘大氣、抑揚有度，行腔酣暢、吐字清晰，善于表達人物內心情感，散發著無窮的藝術魅力，是中國戲曲寶庫中的珍貴財富。豫劇在劇目生產、劇團數量、觀眾人數、市場效益等方面，為當代地方戲之翹楚。2006年5月，豫劇被列入第一批國家級非物質文化遺產名錄。