On March 2nd, the 22nd day of the first lunar month, the ancient town of Changle by the Miluo River bustled with crowds. Resounding drums filled the air, and the grand storytelling event took the stage.
Over 400 local stories, platform stories, high-color stories, and stilt-walking stories, from low to high, formed a colorful storytelling dragon. Colorful flags, lanterns, drums, bands, and dragon dances weaved through the streets of the small town.
The annual folk revelry showcases rituals, culture, and charm. It's the familiar "recipe," but each year brings a new flavor.Belated sense of ceremony, the enthusiasm of "nationwide revelry" remains undiminished.The Storytelling Festival is the Lantern Festival tradition of the people of Changle.This year, due to the influence of rain, snow, and freezing weather, the festival was postponed. However, the passion of the ancient town's people for the festival surpassed the challenges of weather. Over 600 participants prepared thoroughly, determined to make it as lively as celebrating the Lantern Festival!
Changle Storytelling Festival originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties, flourishing during the Ming and Qing dynasties. It is a traditional folk acrobatic art combining astonishment, wonder, danger, and skill. It brings together historical legends, theatrical arts, folk customs, and acrobatic competitions, blending performance, painting, history, astronomy, geography, literature, popular sentiment, and the spirit of the times.
Changle Storytelling is not just told; it is embodied by the people of Changle who use their bodies to create visible, tangible, readable, and learnable stories.
In the parade, the stories in the procession have both traditional colors and contemporary spirit. Classic character stories include Zhao Zilong, who rescues the main character alone, the loyal and heroic female general of the Yang family, and the three heroes Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei fighting against Lu Bu. There are also stories for the new era told in traditional forms, such as "Tiger Gate Smoke," warning to cherish life and stay away from drugs, and "Qu Yuan," with anti-corruption as the core.
Each high-color story uses fixed poses to narrate anecdotes. The stories are supported by platforms and paraded around.In the eyes of the audience, the young performers on the elevated platforms gracefully move among sword blades, flowers, and bamboo tips.What is not known is the breathtaking aerial skills hidden behind the lively and lively appearance.
In this way, in each story, the young performers are fixed one by one, appearing naturally.
Adhering to the "basic configuration" of the Lantern Festival every year, this year, Chen Fanxing, the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Taigechi, mobilized a family of 16 people to walk on stilts, tell stories, and play drums.
Last year, his granddaughter Chen Tianruo made her first appearance at the storytelling festival, and this year, she performed on stilts with her two older brothers.This year, the members of the storytelling festival on Shangshi Street experienced a "big change." The president, vice president, and others handed over to artists in their 40s from an average age of over 70.
"The storytelling festival needs young people to inherit and infuse fresh blood." Chen Fanxing, 76, transformed from the president to the honorary president. Including him, only three old artists specializing in makeup, story composition, and event planning are left in the association to pass on their skills.Chen Fanxing, who has been accompanied by "stories" for half a century, witnessed the changes in the storytelling festival. He recalled that in the early years, when resources were relatively scarce, everyone in Changle created stories from their homes, using door panels and bed boards to construct stories.
Now, both Shangshi Street and Xiashi Street have their own cultural museums. In the three-story cultural museum, many exciting historical scenes of the storytelling festival are preserved, and various costumes and props are displayed.
With such a grand performance every year, they have also built their own "headquarters." Where does the energy come from?"The cultural roots of the storytelling festival are embedded in the heart of every person in Changle." Li Yangbo, the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage Taigechi, explained that the inheritance of the storytelling festival does not solely rely on the government or a small number of folk artists. Every year, during the storytelling festival, every person in Changle consciously participates, contributing people, money, and effort to create a true "nationwide revelry."
Cultivating "Sesame Officials" and nurturing "Drunken Guan Gong," "Stories" propel Changle into the world When the stilt team approached amid the anticipation of the narrow intersection and difficult choices, a five-meter-high stilt team came into view.
