Chen Shenhua - Representative Inheritor of Huadeng Opera Project in Yuanmou County, Chuxiong 

Chen Shenhua (October 1954 – ) is a national-level representative inheritor of Yuanmou Flower Lantern Opera (元谋花灯), an intangible cultural heritage art from Dazhu Village (大学庄村), Yuanmou County (元谋县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省). His artistic career spans the critical period when Yuanmou Flower Lantern Opera transitioned from traditional village performances to modern national stages. Renowned for his “male-dan” (male performer of female roles) performances, he has safeguarded this Ming-dynasty-imported art form, earning the title “Living Guardian of Yuanmou Flower Lantern Opera.”

I. Family Background and Early Training

Born into a family of Flower Lantern Opera performers in Dazhu Village (大学庄村), Chen Shenhua grew up immersed in the multicultural environment of Western Yunnan.

• Early Stage Experience: By the age of 7 or 8, he joined performances with his uncles in the local Minyue Lantern Society (民乐灯社).

• Formal Mentorship: At age 12, he became a disciple of the famous Yuanmou master Pu Jilan (普继兰), systematically studying dan (female) roles.

• Youthful Achievements: By 15, he could independently perform classics like Zhang Guan’s Grand Birthday (《张官大拜寿》) and Visiting Sister Gan (《探干妹》). Praised for his rich vocal tone and delicate acting, he was hailed as “Pu Jilan Reborn.”

After his mentor’s death in 1984, Chen assumed leadership of the Lantern Society, mastering the opera’s scripts, melodies, scores, and ritual ceremonies, becoming the troupe’s central figure.

II. Core Skills and Artistic Features

1. Master of Male-Dan Performance

Chen specializes in Xiao Dan, Hua Dan, and Dao Ma Dan roles. His style blends the high-pitched Yuanmou mountain songs with the gentle melodies of Han silk-string music, creating a “strength and delicacy, vivid and expressive” performance style.

• In Shanbo Visits Friends (《山伯访友》), his vibrato and gliding notes convey Zhuyingtai’s sorrow with emotional intensity.

• In Beating the Flower Drum (《打花鼓》), his agile steps and lively fan techniques bring village maid characters to life. China Quyi Chronicle (《中国戏曲志》) praises him for preserving the rustic charm of Flower Lantern Opera.

2. Guardian of Traditional Rituals

As head of the Lantern Society, Chen preserves ancient rituals such as group lantern assemblies, guayi (卦衣), welcoming deities, and sending off lanterns.

• “Spitting Lantern Day” (唾灯日): Every August 16, he leads the troupe to plan the next year’s performances.

• Pre-Spring “Sending Lanterns” Ceremony: He conducts solemn offerings before spring plowing.

Experts regard these practices as living examples of the symbiotic relationship between Western Yunnan folk beliefs and theater.

III. Transmission and Social Contributions

1. Multi-Layered Inheritance System

• Family Transmission: His son, Chen Shenfu (陈申福), trained under him from childhood, now performs leading roles in Yuanmou amateur art troupes.

• School Programs: Taught Flower Lantern Opera at multiple Yuanmou County (元谋县) primary and secondary schools, training over 200 young inheritors. This model is recognized as an Excellent Case of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Yunnan Schools (云南省非遗进校园优秀案例).

• Community Training: Established the Chen Shenhua Flower Lantern Workshop (陈申华花灯传习所), training nearly 100 apprentices, many becoming core performers in local troupes.

2. Benchmark in Heritage Preservation

• Documentation: Participated in compiling Yuanmou Flower Lantern Music (三卷) and Yuanmou Flower Lantern Scores (元谋花灯曲谱), recording 151 traditional melodies and 101 classic plays.

• Digital Archiving: Collaborated with Yunnan Arts University (云南艺术学院) to create 3D-scanned digital archives of 20 classic works.

• Policy Advocacy: As a Yuanmou CPPCC member (政协委员), he promoted the Yuanmou Flower Lantern Protection Regulations (《元谋花灯保护条例》) and secured national-level heritage funding for workshops and stipends.

IV. Cultural Promotion and Modern Innovation

1. National Platform Representation

• Recognition: In 2018, selected as part of the Fifth Batch of National-level Representative Inheritors, the only Flower Lantern Opera artist from Yunnan Province to receive this honor.

• Media Coverage: Featured in CCTV’s Homeland (《乡土》) and Yunnan TV’s China Intangible Heritage Tour (《非遗中国行》), with instructional videos exceeding 1 million views on TikTok (抖音).

• Awards: Led teams in national minority arts competitions, with Flowers of Border Trade (《边贸之花》) winning Outstanding Play Award and Chen receiving Best Performance Award.

2. Cultural Tourism and Audience Engagement

• Immersive Tourism: Designed Flower Lantern experiences at Yuanmou Earth Forest (元谋土林) and Wumao Earth Forest (物茂土林), allowing visitors to try costumes and perform simple scenes. Over 30,000 participants annually, increasing local income by ~1,000 RMB per capita.

• Festivals: During the annual Yuanmou People’s Culture Festival (元谋人文化节), organizes special performances and innovative pieces like Yi-Han Harmony (《彝汉同辉》), combining Yi music elements, attracting domestic and international tourists.

V. Challenges and Innovative Solutions

Chen faces two major challenges:

• Skill Transmission Gap: Learning Yuanmou Flower Lantern Opera requires 8–10 years of daily practice; most apprentices are over 45, with only 2 under 30.

• Market Limitations: Traditional audiences are aging, limiting large-scale performance economics.

Innovative Responses:

1. Digital Empowerment: Developed VR teaching systems with Huawei “Digital Intangible Heritage” project, achieving 2 million views on Study Xi Platform.

2. Cross-Genre Fusion: Created productions like Yi-Han Harmony (《彝汉同辉》), blending Flower Lantern Opera with Yi epic Aluju Re, winning gold at Yunnan Ethnic Folk Art Festivals.

3. Youth Engagement: Weekend classes at Yuanmou Youth Activity Center, combining games and interactive acting, training over 80 students.

VI. Cultural Value and Legacy

Chen Shenhua’s work has threefold significance:

• Historical Research: Preserved Nine Beats Thirteen Tunes (九板十三腔) and Three-Seven-One-Five Mountain Flower Style Lyrics (三七一五山花体唱词), essential for studying Ming dynasty Yiyang Opera (弋阳腔) evolution in Southwest China.

• Cultural Cohesion: Flower Lantern Opera fosters unity among Han, Yi, and Lisu communities in multi-ethnic Yuanmou County (元谋县). His troupe’s collaboration bridges cultural divides, earning the title Yunnan Model Team for Ethnic Unity and Progress (云南省民族团结进步示范团队).

• Educational Innovation: His “traditional skills + modern education” model is recognized by Yunnan Department of Culture and Tourism and promoted across 16 prefectures.

As Chen Shenhua says:

“Flower Lantern Opera is not merely the sound of silk strings—it is the cultural DNA of Yuanmou people, embedded in our very bones.”

Through half a century of dedication, he has elevated Yuanmou Flower Lantern Opera from village hearths to the international stage, embodying the vibrant multicultural heritage of China.