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在线翻译:
szdaily -> Culture -> 
A folk art fair to call home
    2017-02-16  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

    EACH year after the Spring Festival, Majie Village in central China’s Henan Province is visited by folk artists from across the country.

    With the sky as their roof and the field as their stage, the artists start performing in pairs or solo from the early morning. Throughout the day, the village is filled with the sound of people singing, laughing and applauding. This year’s event, from Feb. 7 to 9, in a wheat field in Majie, attracted 1,200 artists and 300,000 visitors.

    A history of 700 years

    The fair has prospered almost uninterrupted for 700 years. Stone inscriptions in a Majie village Buddhist temple show the gathering started in the early 14th century and flourished in the ensuing dynasties.

    In 1863, over 2,000 folk artists attended the fair. There are several versions on the origins of this grand get-together. Most claim the fair developed to commemorate some important figure. However, it seems more likely that Majie, a gateway between the mountains and the plains, was a major passage for caravans and traveling folk artists in ancient China. To mark holidays and celebrations, folk artists passing by Majie put on performances there. Later it became usual for artists from across the county to meet there to trade and perform during the Chinese New Year celebration.

    Chinese folk art, or quyi, has many forms, including ballad singing, story telling and cross talk, etc. The subjects mainly focus on ancient legends, heroes, virtuous ladies and patriots who died for their country.

    A Mecca for folk artists

    The quyi fair presents an opportunity for the audience to establish contact with their favorite artists and pay them to perform.

    At the height of quyi’s popularity, Zheng Jinpin, an artist at this year’s fair, could earn 200 yuan (US$30) for a day’s performance. But in recent years, spectators are less interested and the love for quyi has waned.

    Despite this the annual quyi fair remains a calling for artists.

    “It doesn’t matter whether or not I am invited to perform at the event,” said Zheng, 68, who has attended every year since he was 16. “I have to come to meet my colleagues.”

    Like Zheng, Li Dongmei, 61, has attended almost every fair since she started performing in her teens.

    She was the “quyi fair champion” last year, an award for the best performing artist at the fair. This year, she turned down a weeklong performance in order to attend the fair instead.

    “Here is a home for us artists,” Li said. “We are busy with our own lives all year around, and this is a time for us to gather.”

    Hospitable villages

    Majie Village has about 5,000 residents, but it hosts more than 1,000 folk artists every year. Many villagers volunteer to provide free food and lodgings for artists during the fair.

    For locals, the fair is more than just an occasion to enjoy ancient and modern stories. They also invite folk artists to celebrate the previous year’s harvest or entertain their guests at weddings or birthday parties. For villagers, this expense is a source of pride and earns respect from neighbors.

    Zhang Mantang, 64, has housed about 150 artists this year. Zhang, a businessman, returned to Majie in 2004 when the fair was losing popularity.

    In 2006 he built 12 rooms, and bought bunk beds and cushions to host the guests. Over the years, Zhang has spent hundreds of thousands of yuan protecting the arts.

    In 2006, the Majie Quyi Fair was inscribed on the first national intangible cultural heritage list. Zhang received government subsidies for his efforts in recent years.

    As the fair ended and night fell, many guests gathered in Zhang’s yard to talk about their lives and arts.

    “The artists are the soul of quyi,” Zhang said. “I have to keep them together.”

    (SD-Xinhua)

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