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On January 31, 2014, the winter cold in Shaoxing was pressing, but it couldn't stop the crowd of people who came to bid farewell to the six-year-old children of the "Southern Monkey King". At the memorial service, thousands of people stood solemnly, and one of the old men dressed in Tang Seng costumes was particularly eye-catching - he was Chi Chongrui, a "Tang Seng" who had cooperated with Liulingtong for many years.
In front of the spirit, the golden hoop stick and costume lay quietly beside the six-year-old child, as if waiting for the order to make trouble in the heavenly palace again.
The six-year-old child stood in front of his father's spirit, his eyes full of reluctance and worry. He is well aware that the departure of his father not only means the end of an era, but also indicates that traditional Chinese opera is about to face unprecedented challenges.
The curtain call of the "Monkey King" seems to have cast a shadow on the future of Shao Opera.
The legend of the Zhang family's monkey opera can be traced back to the last years of the Yuan Dynasty. At that time, as the Mongol army moved south, the ancestors of the Zhang family came to the water towns south of the Yangtze River from the northern grasslands. However, a twist of fate came in the early years of the Ming Dynasty - the Zhang family was demoted to "degenerates", lost the qualification to participate in the imperial examination, and could not intermarry with commoners, so they could only survive at the bottom of society.
Faced with such a predicament, the Zhang family did not give in. They looked for a way out in art, and gradually formed a unique "Zhang's Monkey Opera". This art was sung in the streets and became an important means of earning a living.
In the last years of the Qing Dynasty, Liu Lingtong's grandfather, Zhang Tingchun, won the reputation of "Living Monkey Chapter" with his superb monkey opera performance skills, and won a reputation for the family. However, what really pushed Zhang's monkey drama to the peak was Zhang Yisheng, the father of the six-year-old child.
Zhang Yisheng was originally just an ordinary farmer in Daoxu Town, Shangyu, Shaoxing, living by the Bazi Bridge. It is a place with a strong artistic atmosphere, and there are often troupes performing here by boat.
Influenced by this, Zhang Yisheng developed a strong interest in opera. Not content with just performing monkey shows during festivals, he uses his spare time to run a small lantern shop while constantly honing his monkey show skills.
With his love for art and unremitting efforts, Zhang Yisheng's monkey opera performance quickly became famous in the local area, winning the reputation of "Race Live Monkey". With his love for art and his vision for the future, he went to Shanghai alone in the 20s of the 20th century and founded the "Laozha Grand Theater".
Subsequently, he continued to absorb opera talents from his hometown, and eventually developed it into the famous "Tongchun Stage", which became one of the most influential opera troupes in China at that time.
Zhang Yisheng is not only a successful businessman, but also a father who loves art. He often took his sons Zhang Zongxin (seven-year-old child) and Zhang Zongyi (six-year-old child) to watch opera performances, from noon to dusk.
Although the young Zhang Zongyi was often tired of watching, under the guidance of his elder brother, he gradually developed a strong interest in opera.
The story of the Zhang family is not only the history of the rise of an artistic family, but also the epitome of the tenacious survival of traditional Chinese culture in the face of adversity. With wisdom and diligence, they pushed an art that was regarded as "inferior" to the pinnacle of art, and made indelible contributions to the development of Chinese opera.
Zhang Zongyi, who is known as the six-year-old child, has shown an extraordinary passion for the art of opera since he was a child. However, the seniors in the troupe were reluctant to take the initiative to teach this young child due to various considerations.
Faced with this situation, Xiao Zhang Zongyi was not discouraged, but chose a unique path of learning art - "stealing teachers".
Every morning, when the others were still asleep, Xiao Zhang Zongyi quietly slipped to the practice ground. He hid in the corner, intently observing every movement of his masters, and then practiced silently alone.
This hard work has finally paid off. One day, he was discovered by Master Hai in the drama troupe. Impressed by the young boy's talent and diligence, Master Hai decided to break the mold and teach his skills.
In this way, the six-year-old boy began his formal path of learning art.
However, fate always seems to like to play a joke with geniuses. In adolescence, the six-year-old child suffered from the problem of voice change, which was undoubtedly a fatal blow to an opera actor.
Just when he was confused, a sentence from the famous Peking Opera actor Gai Zhaotian gave him new inspiration: "Resemblance is not as good as god-likeness." This sentence is like a beacon that illuminates the artistic path of six-year-olds.
Since then, six-year-old children have begun to study the behavior and habits of monkeys in depth. Not only did he observe the monkeys of the buskers, but he even raised one himself for long-term observation.
In the performance, he is no longer limited to simply imitating the appearance and movement of the monkey, but pursues the perfect integration of "human, god, and monkey". In terms of makeup and styling, he boldly innovated, using gold pigment to outline the facial contours for the first time, injecting a mysterious "fairy aura" into the "monkey face".
The six-year-old's efforts have finally paid off. In 1961, he starred in the Shao opera movie "Monkey King Three Fights White Bone Spirit" and caused a sensation as soon as it was released. The film not only won the Best Opera Film Award at the 2nd Hundred Flowers Awards, but was also successfully distributed to 72 countries around the world, becoming an important window to showcase traditional Chinese culture.
What is even more exciting is that in 1957, Premier Zhou accompanied the Burmese guests to watch the performance of the six-year-old child at the Sino-Soviet Friendship Building in Shanghai and recommended him to Chairman Mao.
Chairman Mao was deeply moved after watching it, and created the famous "Seven Laws and Comrade Guo Moruo", in which the sentence "The golden monkey rises up with a thousand sticks, and Yuyu clarifies thousands of miles", so that the six-year-old child won the reputation of "Southern Monkey King", and Peking Opera master Li Wanchun is called "Northern and Southern Monkey King".
The success of the six-year-old child is not only the embodiment of his personal talent, but also the result of his infinite love and unremitting efforts for traditional art. He elevated the monkey play from mere imitation to the height of art, giving the monkey image wisdom and dignity.
His story is not only the growth process of an artist, but also the epitome of the vitality of traditional Chinese culture in the new era, inspiring countless young people who love traditional culture to continue to move forward.
Under the leadership of Liulingtong, Shao Opera ushered in an unprecedented golden age. In 1956, an important event marked the beginning of this glorious period - the "Tongchun Shao Opera Troupe" was officially upgraded to a state-run system, becoming the first of the five state-owned theaters in Zhejiang Province.
Liulingtong shouldered a heavy responsibility and served as the first head of the troupe, opening a new chapter in the development of Shao Opera.
Shao Opera, especially the monkey opera performances, soon became a frequent visitor at various major events due to its unique artistic charm. In cultural exchange activities at home and abroad, monkey opera has crossed the language barrier with its vivid images, exaggerated movements and rich expressions, and is deeply loved by foreign friends.
It has become an important window to display traditional Chinese culture and has made a unique contribution to the promotion of international friendly relations.
In 1961, the development of Shao Opera ushered in a new peak. The Shao opera movie "Monkey King Three Fights the White Bone Spirit" starring Liulingtong was shockingly released. This film not only caused a sensation in China, won the Best Opera Film Award at the 2nd Hundred Flowers Awards, but also successfully went abroad and was distributed in 72 countries around the world.
In that special historical period, this film not only spread Chinese culture, but also won valuable food resources for the country.
The success of Shao Opera is not limited to the field of art, it has also become an important bridge between China and the world. Through Shao Opera, especially the monkey opera performances, audiences from all over the world were able to get a glimpse of the charm of traditional Chinese culture and enhance their understanding and friendship with China.
The impact of this cultural exchange extends far beyond the art itself, winning China more understanding and respect on the international stage.
However, behind the brilliance lies also a crisis. With the changes of the times, traditional opera is facing problems such as a decrease in audiences and a lack of interest among young people. How to keep pace with the times while maintaining traditional characteristics has become a major challenge for Shao opera people.
Despite this, this golden period is still the most glorious chapter in the history of Shao Opera. It not only witnesses the charm of traditional Chinese culture, but also leaves a valuable artistic wealth for future generations.
The efforts of Liu Lingtong and his colleagues have brought Shao Opera to unprecedented heights during this period, which not only enriches the treasure house of Chinese opera art, but also makes important contributions to Chinese culture to the world.
This history will forever be engraved in the long scroll of Chinese cultural development.
With the death of Liulingtong and the fame of Liuxiaolingtong in the TV series "Journey to the West", the Shao Opera Troupe is facing unprecedented challenges. The talent gap is becoming more and more serious, and there are fewer and fewer young actors who can perform monkey operas.
In the Shao Opera team, among the more than 20 male actors, only three may be selected to play the monkey play. This is a worrying figure.
Disciples such as Qian Xiaobao and others, who had studied with Liulingtong for many years, have gradually entered old age and are no longer qualified for high-intensity performance work. Although these old artists are highly skilled, it is difficult for them to pass on their skills to the next generation.
Young actors can only rely on watching videos to learn on their own, and when they encounter problems, they can ask their masters for advice. It is difficult to systematically pass on the essence of monkey opera in this way of learning.
The reduction in performance opportunities has also become a major problem. Monkey performances that used to take place for days and nights in rural areas are now rare. This not only affected the company's income, but more importantly, the new generation of actors lost valuable stage practice opportunities.
Without enough stage experience, it is difficult for young actors to truly grasp the charm of monkey opera.
The difficulties encountered by the younger generation in the inheritance of skills cannot be ignored. Their performances can often only be similar to the shape but difficult to resemble, and it is difficult to reach the artistic realm of "human, god, and monkey" in the six-year-old children.
This situation raises concerns about whether the essence of the art of monkey opera will gradually disappear with the passage of time.
In the face of these predicaments, although the six-year-old child tried to inherit his father's mantle, he still felt powerless. He once promised to put "Monkey King Three Fights White Bone Spirit" on the screen, but practical difficulties made it difficult to fulfill this promise.
The future of monkey opera seems to have cast a shadow. How to attract a new generation of audiences while maintaining traditional characteristics, and how to cultivate new monkey opera talents, have become important issues in front of every Shao opera person.
In the face of the current predicament, Liu Xiaolingtong and the new generation of artists have not given up hope. They are actively exploring the possibility of combining traditional monkey opera with modern media, and strive to find a way for the art of monkey opera to survive in the new era.
On the one hand, they try to integrate monkey opera elements into modern stage plays, cartoons and other forms to attract young audiences. This innovation not only retains the essence of monkey play, but also gives it new vitality.
In this way, they hope to make more young people understand and fall in love with this traditional art.
On the other hand, they are also trying to find new ways to pass on their legacy. In addition to the traditional master-apprentice teaching, the Shao Opera Troupe has also set up monkey opera training classes and invited veteran artists to record teaching videos.
These measures aim to give more people the opportunity to contact and learn about this art, and to open up a new path for the transmission of monkey opera.
Although the road is difficult, Liu Xiaolingtong always firmly believes that as long as he maintains his love and dedication to art, the art of monkey opera will eventually be revitalized. As his father, the six-year-old boy, used to say, "Resembling is not as good as being like a god."
In the future, the art of monkey opera may appear with a new look, but its spiritual core, the yearning for a better life and the dedication to art, will be passed on forever.
On this difficult but hopeful road, everyone who loves monkey opera is contributing. They believe that as long as they persevere, one day, the art of monkey opera will shine again and continue to add new charm to traditional Chinese culture.
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