Nuo Opera of Guichi

 

 

Guichi Nuo Opera is crowned to be the Living Fossil of Opera in China. It is valuable for research on Chinese ancient operas, folk culture, social customs and the religion evolution. Nuo opera comes down from different generations without any intercommunication, so it is always keeping the old, original appearance.

Guichi Nuo Opera is one of the old and rare operas in Anhui province, and it is mainly famous the villages or communities at the foot of Jiuhuashan Mountain such as Liujie street, Yaojie street, Meijie street, Tangxi, Siyuan and so on. Generally it is performed in accordance with the different family with the different family name; it is mainly for god welcome, ancestor worshipping, exorcising and auspiciousness welcome. The performers generally wear different masks. They posed to be different gods or different figures or animals like lions, elephants, horses and so on. The music instruments they use generally are drums, gongs, and others.

Guichi Nuo Opera generally performs on the seventh day of the first month in lunar calendar. The performers and the spectators are all the members of this family. Different family has the different arrangement in date selection, programme order and performance form. Furthermore, the script, voice, mask, garment, and prop are also different. All of these are closely connected with the local natural condition, economic condition and the local custom. Usually such an opera performance ends on Lantern-Festival night.