The ancient town of Yang Liuqing
When it comes to drama towns, the first thing that comes to mind may be Wuzhen, which often holds theater festivals in recent years, but did you know that Yang Liuqing is also a famous theater town on the banks of the Grand Canal?
Yang Liuqing walked out
Stage stars
Speaking of Yangliuqing Town, your first reaction may be the Shijia Compound, after all, there is the most well-preserved and largest enclosed theater building found in the mainland, and there have been many celebrities gathered here.
Of course, Yang Liuqing's cultural treasures are far more than this, as well as Yang Cuixi, Liu Xikui, Wang Keqin, Gu Ruiyu, Li Chunlin, An Xiumei (Xiao Ju), Li Wenmin, Zhao Qun, and other theatrical cultures supported by Yang Liuqing's famous theater actors...
From left to right: Yang Cuixi, Liu Xikui, Wang Keqin, Gu Ruiyu, Li Chunlin, An Xiumei (Xiao Ju), Li Wenmin, Zhao Qun; Courtesy photo: Feng Li
Since the Shi family is mentioned, then this talented person who is "produced by the Shi family" must have to say something.
Who is he? Why was he able to get famous attractions to create a personal exhibition for him? What talent and charm does he have to rank among the "top of the Republic of China" and capture many "big-name fans" that the world will never forget?
And patiently look down, the mystery is all below.
This talented and charming descendant of the Shi family is the famous performance artist in Tianjin, known as the "Emperor of Drama".
The former residence of the famous performing artist and "Drama Emperor" Shi Hua - an old photo of Huaide Hall located on the north side of Yangliu Qinghe Street and on the east side of Jianlong Hutong. Demolished in 1999. Courtesy photo: District Cultural Protection Office
It is worth mentioning that although Shi Hua was a descendant of the Shi family, he did not live in Zunmei Hall (the surviving Shi family compound today), but from Huaide Hall (once located on Heyan Avenue and was demolished in 1999).
Courtesy of: Feng Li
Shi Hua, formerly known as Shi Yutao, born in 1915 in Yang Liuqing, was a famous performing artist in mainland China in the 1940s and 1950s.
In the early 1940s, Shi Hui participated in more than 30 drama plays, whether positive or negative, youth, old age, comedy, tragedy, he can control all kinds of roles, especially Wen Tianxiang in "Zhengqi Song", Mu Rong Tianxi in "The Great Circus", and Begonia in "Begonia", which is even more amazing.
Shi Hua and Cao Yu
A combination of Tianjin artists
Shi Hua has played many roles in the works of the famous playwright Cao Yu, whether it is "Sunrise" or "Thunderstorm", which has been well received. Drama playwright Cao Yu, after watching lugui played by the 23-year-old Shi Hua, not only dismissed the idea of deleting this small character, but also praised: "Lu Gui played by Shi Hua is better than what I wrote."
Stills from Shi Wei's appearance in "Thunderstorm"
In 1941, Shi Hui also wrote the article "Impressions of Cao Yu", which described the experiences of Shi Hui and Cao Yu when they fled to Jiang'an, Sichuan Province due to war. This article is not only Shi Hua's nostalgia for the past time of the two people, but also Shi Hua's most sincere respect for Cao Yu.
Since the late 1940s, Shi Hua's artistic practice has shifted from drama to film, and his design of each character in many films is amazing, and his creativity is really amazing.
Poster of "Night Voyage in the Sea of Fog"
He directed a variety of film genres such as "My Life", "Guan Lianchang", "Chicken Feather Letter", "Tianxian Match", "Window of America", "Night Voyage of the Sea of Fog" and so on, which can be seen that his ability to control the language of film at that time has surpassed many directors of the same generation.
1943 comics
In plays and films, Shi Hua created colorful group portraits of characters, showing the extraordinary talent of an all-round actor. What is valuable is that while creating a stage image with a strong personality, it also makes each character have its own characteristics. The fusion of the two shows that Shi Hua is a talented performance artist with unique artistic charm and skill.
Mei Lanfang couldn't help but burst into tears when she saw Shi Hua's performance, saying, "I forgot that I was watching a play."
Shi Hua (left) with Mei Lanfang
Shi Hua, who has many "big-name fans" such as Zhang Ailing and Lao She, has dedicated his life to drama, which can be described as interpreting his life with drama.
Shi Hua's achievements are not only the pride of Yang Liuqing, but also the pride of Xiqing and even Tianjin.
A stone-waving wax statue on display in the Shijia compound
If future generations want to see Shi Hua's style, they can visit the "Shi Hua Life Exhibition" near the south gate of the Shijia Compound (now the Yangliuqing Folk Museum) (position 7 in the picture).
On the stage of the Shijia Courtyard
Once the stars were shining
Many people may not know that there is still a theater building in the Shi family compound. (Location 30 in the picture) It is worth mentioning that the Shifu Opera Building in the Shijia Compound is the most well-preserved and largest enclosed opera building of the people's houses found in the mainland, and the famous Peking Opera performance artists sun Juxian and Yu Shuyan in the mainland have sung here.
The theater building, also known as the theater stage, is a building for acting. The big theater building is spacious and gorgeous, of which the Flower Lingge fan is the original color of Nan wood, exquisitely carved, extremely luxurious, can be used for 200 people to listen to the play and feast, there is a twelve partition door on the main entrance of the theater building, the wood carving carved on it is a Liuhe auspicious pattern, there is a plaque on the upper floor, it is the only original plaque left in the Shi family compound, which is the plaque given by the people on the south bank of the Yangliuqing Canal to thank Shi Yuanshi.
The characteristics of the big theater building are warm in winter, cool in summer and good sound quality. The walls of the theater building are made of grinding bricks and seams, tight and seamless, with a flue through the wall, and the winter building is warm as spring. In the summer, the air circulation of the furnace in the theater building, the square brick bluestone is hard and cool, there are side doors on the east and west sides to form convection of air, the space is high, and the design of the windows makes the sunlight not direct but exceptionally transparent, making people feel very cool. The building of the theater building is specially fired with bricks, after polishing, it is dry and stacked, glued with paste white ash paste, the wall is integrated, plus the north high south low echo does not collide, the north partition door can play the sound, and the sound effect is excellent. Therefore, the Shifu Grand Theater Building is known as a "folk must", and provides more than 100 free church performances for tourists every year.
On a par with Mei Lanfang
King Khun Ling
Also a celebrity who has been commented on by Mr. Cao Yu, Liu Xikui is also a legend that has to be said in the theater industry in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Ming Dynasty, and people have said: "Men have Mei Lanfang, women have Liu Xikui."
In 1980, Cao Yu wrote this: "Nowadays, few people in the theater industry mention Liu Xikui. However, in the 1910s and 1920s, she was a famous Kunling who was red through half the sky, and was the only actress who could sing with Tan Xinpei and Yang Xiaolou. “
Liu Xikui Courtesy photo: Feng Li
She is one year younger than Mei Lanfang, born in 1894 (some say 1985) in Yangliuqing, Tianjin, her ancestral home is in Nanpi Heilong Village, Cangzhou, Hebei Province. He studied Hebei Zizi since he was a child, and later studied Peking Opera. After entering the industry, she first learned the old student, the stage name Lian Kui, and then changed to Hua Dan, changed her stage name to Xi Kui.
On the theatrical stage in the early years of the Republic of China, there were two Danjiao celebrities who were particularly eye-catching, one was Mei Lanfang, a Peking Opera male, and the other was Liu Xikui, a Hebei Zi Kunling. How red Mei Lanfang is naturally needless to say, and Liu Xikui has a gust of limelight that even overshadows Mei Lanfang, for a time, in the city of Beijing, from the princes and nobles to the people in cloth, no one knows his name, and no one knows what he does.
Liu Xikui Courtesy photo: Feng Li
"Shun Tian Times" presided over the selection of the King of Lingjie, and as a result, Mei Lanfang won the title of King of Men with 232865 votes, and Liu Xikui won the title of King of Kunling with 238606 votes. Liu Xikui became a famous character with the same name as Mei Lanfang.
At that time, Liu Xikui and Xian Lingzhi and Jin Yulan were called "Three Heroines", in Beijing and Tianjin, her theater was full, and the ticket price was even higher than Tan Xinpei and other predecessors in the theater industry, her fame was getting bigger and bigger, and her value was getting higher and higher.
In the face of this famous Kun Pity of the "First Red of Pear Garden", even Tan Xinpei, the Great King of the Lingjie Realm, was ashamed of himself: "There is Mei Lanfang in the male, Liu Xikui in the female, and I am resting!" ”
How popular Liu Xikui was, we can see one or two of them from the newspaper records at that time. According to records, Liu Xikui "every time he took the stage, the color thundered, the Tianjin Opera Garden, the lowly words and thick coins hired, lest they fall behind, it is also enough to see the price of his voice." It can be seen that Liu Xikui's body value is not a hundred times a thousand times, it is simply priceless.
Zhang Xueliang's
Lady Yang Liuqing
A cold knowledge! The famous patriotic general Zhang Xueliang once had a lady Yang Liuqing.
As we all know, General Zhang Xueliang's hair-tied wife is called Yu Fengzhi. After he was placed under house arrest, he was accompanied by Zhao Yidi, and was officially married to Zhao Yidi in 1964. But what many people don't know is that Zhang Xueliang actually had three formal marriages, and his second wife was named Gu Ruiyu.
Gu Ruiyu Courtesy photo: Feng Li
Gu Ruiyu was born in Yang Liuqing in 1904, and later fell in the middle of the road, and was sold to the drama team to learn drama at the age of 13. He studied drama criticism with Li Jinshun and Bai Yushuang. At the age of 14, she took the stage and first performed in the Sun family class, and later Cheng Zhaocai established the Qingchun class, and she sang a supporting role to Hualien, with the stage name Xiao Jinyu. At the age of 15, she was already singing red, and together with Li Jinshun, Bai Yushuang and Hualien Fang, she was called the "Four Famous Dans" of Tianjin.
In 1920, at the age of 17, Gu Ruiyu moved to the northeast and later studied Peking Opera. In September, Zhang Xueliang, who led troops to suppress bandits, came to Jilin. Zhang Zuoxiang, the overseer of Jilin Province, held a church meeting for him, and the beautiful Gu Ruiyu was the most eye-catching artist at the church meeting. Zhang Xueliang fell in love at first sight, and Hougu Ruiyu became Zhang Xueliang's military wife, achieving a good story.
Author's words
For Yang Liuqing, it is not only Shi Hua who has left a deep impression, not only the famous artists who have ascended to the theater to perform, but also the theater culture that is tied up in people's hearts. They have left a heavy stroke for Yang Liuqing in the long river of theater culture, which makes future generations relish it, and can't help but sigh: It turns out that Yang Liuqing is a famous theater town!
The beauty of Yangliuqing Ancient Town has never been single, and it has a deep historical background that is worth exploring and pondering carefully by all officials. This time we have excavated a new angle to appreciate the ancient town of Yangliuqing, accompanied by this harmonious spring breeze, let's enjoy the different beauty of Yangliuqing in the spring!
Recommended film list: "My Life", "Night Sailing in the Sea of Fog"
Author: Ren Shuang
Photo: Feng Li
Please indicate the source "Tianjin Xiqing"