Ma Ming Yang Opera originated in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. It is a kind of folk drama that spreads in Zitong area of Mianyang City. Its origin and development are closely related to the geographical environment and historical culture of Zitong. It is a branch and continuation of Zitong Wenchang culture. In the old days, a grand ceremony was held to worship Emperor Wenchang. This ceremony was the welcoming ceremony that lasted for hundreds of years. The development of Nuo sacrifice and Nuo dance in Zitong welcoming ceremony gradually formed the unique Ma Ming Yang Opera. It is in the process of people's worship of gods, through setting up altars for sacrifice, repaying gods and fulfilling vows, praying for blessings and eliminating disasters, calming the gods and thanking the earth, and exorcising evil spirits and accepting good luck, so that religion, culture and art are integrated. After adding countless drama factors, it gradually transitioned from entertaining gods to entertaining people, and finally produced Yang Opera with plots, characters and local characteristics of Zitong. Yang Opera performance is also called "Wan Yang Opera", which consists of "altar opening", "heavenly play", "earthly play" and "flower play". "Heavenly play" and "earthly play" are also called "main play" and are the main body of Ma Ming Yang Opera. It is reflected in the performance that there are "Yin Yitang" and "Yang Yitang". Yin opera is called "32 operas in heaven", also known as "heavenly opera". During the performance, one person manipulates the puppet, one person leads the singing behind the scenes in the form of "tu song", and three or four people sing along. Its content and lyrics are mostly entertaining; Yang opera is called "32 operas underground", also known as "ground opera". The actors wear makeup or masks to dress up as Erlang, Judge, Land God, Zushi, Xiaogui, Zhong Kui, etc. for performance. In other words, there are puppets in heaven and Nuo masks on the ground. What is in heaven, there is also underground. After the heaven and earth opera, there is "flower opera", which is generally a clown opera, focusing on entertainment and making fun. After the founding of New China, the performance of Ma Mingyang Opera was interrupted for a time. Nowadays, many descendants who are familiar with the singing and performance of Ma Mingyang Opera have passed away one after another, and some documents and materials have been lost. Ma Mingyang Opera is highly endangered. Ma Mingyang Opera is also known as "Wanyang Opera" in the local area. The main parts are composed of "Altar Opening", "Heavenly Opera", "Earthly Opera" and "Flower Opera". "Heavenly Opera" and "Earthly Opera" are also called "Main Opera", which are the main parts of Ma Mingyang Opera. Starting from the opening of the altar (celebration of the main altar) and the clearing of the water, the following parts are in order: submitting documents and issuing petitions, leading sacrifices and offering silk, calming the spirits and setting up stoves, breaking the altars and releasing soldiers, celebrating the four harvests, withdrawing soldiers and setting up the altars, praying to the stars and the Big Dipper, thanking the earth and breaking wishes, writing talismans to cure diseases, summoning souls and setting up stoves, sending off the thatched boats, collecting and subduing demons, making wishes at Hongshan, cleaning the house, calming the spirits and returning to their positions, offering incense and singing "Heavenly Opera", "Earthly Opera" and "Flower Opera". It usually takes 3 to 7 days. The whole sacrifice and performance process is uninterrupted, and the actors take turns to eat. To fulfill his wish, the client needs to prepare a whole pig (i.e. a whole pig). Depending on his economic conditions, he can also prepare a pig head, a pig heart, a pig tail (indicating a whole pig), a rooster, a box of tofu, and three buckets of rice to offer in front of the hall. After fulfilling his wish, the client uses sorghum stalks to make a water raft, and puts the half-sacrificed pig head on the raft. After the Lingguan guards the house and Erlang sweeps the house, he takes the thatched boat to the nearby river or stream, puts it on the water, and floats down the river, which is called "swinging down Yangzhou". Anyone who fulfills the original wish must make a wish first. The head teacher of the altar cuts several 6-inch long and 3-inch wide Lingguan talismans with yellow paper, stamps them with the three house seals of Tao, Sutra, and Master, and then uses chicken blood to sacrifice the Lingguan talisman. Anyone who has a wish can ask for one. "Zhengxi" is the main body of Ma Mingyang Opera. After the main altar sacrifice, "Zhengxi" is sung. It is reflected in the performance of "Yin Yitang" and "Yang Yitang". Yin drama is called "32 dramas in heaven", also known as "heaven drama". Yang drama is called "32 dramas under the ground", also known as "ground drama". After heaven and earth drama, there is "flower drama". It is generally a clown drama, focusing on entertainment and making fun. 1. Heaven drama hangs a curtain on two eight-immortal tables, and a pair of ear curtains become the heaven drama stage (also the Nuo altar), offering sacrifices to Sichuan Lord, Earth Lord, Medicine King, Transformation Lord, and Wenchang. A tablet is placed next to it, with the words "The first, second, and third uncles and mothers-in-law at the Huilongshan Dance Hall, Sichuan Lord, Earth Lord, Medicine King Saint Heteng 32 Dramas". During the performance, one person manipulates the puppets behind the scenes (32 statues of drama gods carved from wood, 1 foot 2 inches long), with different faces, vivid and exquisite shapes. One person leads the singing behind the scenes in the form of "tu song", and three or four people sing along. The content and lyrics are mostly entertaining. The order of appearance of the 32 gods is: sweeping money, little ghost, land god, running horse, spring ox, tyrant, peacemaker, old man, Chen prison, monkey, screen lady, monk, plum blossom, three saints riding horses, transformation master, phoenix crown and willow green, two generals of Guan and Han, two immortals of harmony and unity, two uncles, three uncles and mothers-in-law, sister Chen, general Yang Si, Er Lang, judge Gou Bo. All these characters have specific plots and meanings, which have profound religious meanings and strong folk characteristics. "Heavenly drama" mostly promotes the contents of doing good deeds, filial piety, past life karma, cause and effect, etc. In addition, there are many lyrics that persuade people to do good deeds. 2. Earth drama Earth drama is performed by actors wearing makeup or masks to dress up as Er Lang, judge, land god, ancestors, little ghosts, Zhong Kui, etc. In other words, the puppets in heaven and the Nuo masks on earth, what is in heaven also exists on earth, and the performance of the earthly opera means that the 32 gods of heavenly opera have descended on the host's home, "the beauty of Jianfu opera is the best, and it is the best of ancient and modern beauty, nobility, separation and reunion, life and death, and it is shaped according to the event and given images according to the object. Sometimes it is solemn, sometimes it is humorous, and it is not bold, but it combines puppets in one scene, and it is similar to the events of thousands of years." The wizards of the earthly opera dress up and imitate the gods in terms of clothes, movements, and appearance, and people regard such dressers as the support of the gods, and even directly regard them as gods from the visual to the psychological perspective. Of course, these so-called gods are not idols to be worshipped, but mortals in a friendly state, gathering blessings for people, eliminating disasters for people, and entertaining people. The script of Dixi has a certain storyline, and the development of its plot is no longer restricted by legal procedures. Its character organization and drama structure are also far away from the rituals of opening the altar and Tianxi, so that Dixi can freely adapt to the audience's artistic appreciation needs. Some vivid and humorous legends and mundane affairs are perfunctorily sung in lyrics to attract the audience to the Nuo altar. The scenes of Dixi are: Going to the Heavenly Official, Going to Taibai, Going to Gongcao, Horse Racing to Submit Letters, Children's Imperial Edicts, Going to the Land God, Going to the Spiritual Official, Land God Paying Wish, Zhong Kui Beheading Ghosts, Horse Racing to Bring Wealth, Erlang Guarding the House, and Thatched Boat Sending. In terms of theatrical performance forms, Dixi has the prototypes of Sheng, Dan, Jing, and Chou. The themes of the drama are gradually becoming more divine and secular. Compared with Tianxi, it is more accepting of reality, more focused on pouring out human emotions, and has obvious utilitarianism. The meaning of entertaining gods is weakened, and the entertainment of people is greatly enhanced. 3. In addition to the main plays of "Heaven" and "Earth", Huaxi Opera also has to sing "Huaxi", which is also an important part of Ma Mingyang Opera. This is a kind of interest, without a fixed pattern. The performance is natural and rough, with laughter and nonsense, which is fun, just like playing a game with the audience. The artistic method and artistic form of Huaxi Opera reflect the characteristics of popular drama. The script has singing and speaking, the language is relatively colloquial, the words are clear and easy to understand, with a certain degree of action, and at the same time, the drama environment is depicted to make the audience feel like they are there. Huaxi Opera scripts are mostly based on folk legends at that time. Most of the scripts are written by unknown folk artists or religious professionals. They have low cultural level, but have lived among the masses for a long time and have a thorough understanding of the audience's preferences. Such as "The Camel Returns Home", "The Golden Edict", "Mulian Saves His Mother", "The Water Chestnut Pair", "Zitong Li Meng Bed", "Substitute Doctor", "Wang Tangyuan Passes the Test", "Persuading the Husband", "Beating the Pot and Going to the Class", "Going to the Fair to Tell Fortunes", "The Monk Wants to Be a Mortal", "Qiao Erwa", "Wang Po Scolds the Chicken", etc. The script language of Hua Opera is mostly derived from folk legends, myths, and jokes, so it is simple and crude. Despite this, it still has strong artistic charm and values. The singing and music of Ma Ming Yang Opera, like other folk arts, are often integrated with the local and ethnic history, culture, customs and people. The singing is based on the Duangong tune, local folk songs and ditties. At the same time, it also continuously absorbs the local opera vocal tunes that developed later, showing a simple style, vivid and fluent, humorous and elegant, with a very strong local characteristics of northern Sichuan. Another type of singing is the rhymed rap type, which is chanted on the basis of the tone of the local Zitong language. This type of singing is very particular about rhyme, has a relatively rigorous structure, and has a free rhythm. From the perspective of artistic effect, the two types of singing adapt to the aesthetic habits of ordinary audiences, but are not bound by too many programs and norms. It is precisely because of the creation of this flexible singing structure that can be long or short, more or less, and can be combined at will, and each has its own start and end, that Yang Opera can give full play to improvisation during performance.