Folk Shehuo in Baoji

2017-12-19 10:52:10 , Source : The Government Website of Shaanxi Province

An ancient nationality always has many heavy things affordable for thought... Shehuo also called Shehuo in Shaanxi, is an ancient folk artistic form in Northwest China. In Loess Plateau with traditional farming culture, Shehuo is a kind of folk cultural and artistic form with the oldest history, richest connotation, grandest scale and fieriest atmosphere.

Baoji is the most representative area for Shehuo in Shaanxi. In Baoji, Chencang District, Longxian, Fengxiang and Qishan etc. are the areas most famous for their Shehuo. Playing Shehuo on the 10th of the first month of the lunar year is a convention in western Shaanxi. Shehuo in Baoji has been listed in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritages and Baoji is called Hometown of Chinese Shehuo.

There are many kinds of Shehuo, most of which are performed in the first month of the lunar year when people offer sacrifices to the kitchen God, welcome the God at temple fairs and pray for rain. Actors act as well-known historical and modern characters and form typical story combinations through extremely difficult actions and good organizations, creating strong artistic infectivity. Blood Shehuo in Chisha Town, Baoji County is the only special Shehuo type remained in Shaanxi and even in China, which is performed only on leap years. The content of Blood Shehuo is very horrible, bloody and vivid. Accordingly it is called Blood Shehuo.

After a spring snow, villages become plain and white full of poetic flavor. The reflection between pure white and fiery red weaves the most beautiful picture of a new year. The team of Shehuo curves along lanes in countryside and bring the solemnest blessing in a year to people. For common people in countryside the happiest thing is performing a noisy and thriving Shehuo in the New Year. Performing Shehuo means New Year and New Year means performing Shehuo.

Spectators distinguish characters in Shehuo from facial makeup. Facial makeup of Shehuo is based on appearance and treats of character of different figures, using combination of different decorations to reflect character of figures. Distinguish who is loyal, kind or evil by color. Red means a loyal figure, white means an evil figure, black means an upright figure and gold and silver mean God and monsters.

With social development once thriving culture of Shehuo is gradually shrinking. Shehuo, a folk activity popular for two thousand years, forms the cultural symbol for a new year jointly with red couplet, red lanterns and red firecrackers. Without these elements, maybe there is no New Year in the heart of the mass any longer and children are short of a kind of New Year taste in their heart.

For children in the hometown of Shehuo, being paint with a facial makeup, stepping a stilt or just waving their hands when being fixed on a high Xinzi is a kind of glory. These children shoulder historical burden and are expected to protect carry forward Shehuo as a national quintessence. Inheritance is the symbol of a civilization and Shehuo is passed down on the loessland in Shaanxi endlessly...

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