In the 1950s, Cantonese opera co-existed with the film industry. Many film stars were Cantonese opera actors. They participated in the film industry in order to earn their livings, and they devoted their passion in performances of Cantonese opera. At that time, Xue Jue-xian (薛覺先) promoted the use of a full script in the
performance of Cantonese opera and rejected the outlined opera. As a result, there was a demand for scripts of new operas. The main opera companies in Hong Kong in that period were the Sun Yim Yeung Opera Company (新艷陽劇團), Sin Fung Ming Opera Company (仙鳳鳴劇團), and the Lai Sing Opera Company (麗聲劇 團). The important actors of Cantonese opera mostly performed in these companies.
Sometimes it was difficult to find someone playing the roles of chousang (丑生) and wusang (武生). The leading actor of the Sun Yim Yeung Opera Company was Fang Yan-fen (芳豔芬, 1922- ). Xin Ma Shi-zeng (新馬師曾), Huang Qian-sui ( 黃 千 歲 ) and Chen Jin-tang ( 陳 錦 棠 ) were engaged to perform the role of wenwushang (文武生) for this company. The leading actor of the Sin Fung Ming Opera Company was Pak Suet-sin (白雪仙) and its wenwushang was Yam Kim-fai (任劍輝). The main actors of the Lai Sing Opera Company were Wu Jun-li (吳君 麗) and He Fei-fan (何非凡).
The foremost scriptwriter for these opera companies was Tong Dik-seng (唐 滌生), who had widely read Chinese classical operas and dramas. His operas were based on stories from the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. He injected new blood into this genre and his operas are dramatic and elegant. He was most active in writing Cantonese operas between 1955 and 1959, and his works are still frequently performed nowadays. These works include Princess Chang Ping (帝女花), Tale of the Purple Hairpin (紫釵記), Goddess of the Luo River (洛神), The Summer Snow (六月雪), The Moon Pavilion (雙仙拜月亭), The Reunion by a White Hare (白兔 會).
There were fruitful results from the close co-operation between Tong Dik-seng and music arrangers. Tong worked closely with maestros of Cantonese music, including Wong Jyt-seng (王粵生, 1919-1989) and Zhu Yi-gang (朱毅剛, 1922-1981), to create famous xiaoqu. For example, Swallows in the Snow (雪中燕) from Princess Chang Ping was composed byWong Jyt-seng; Song from the Barbarian Land (胡地蠻歌) from The Princess in Distress (鳳閣恩仇未了情) was composed by Zhu Yi-gang in the 1960s for the Tai Lung Fung Opera Company (大龍鳳劇團),
to be sung by Mai Bing-rong (麥炳榮) and Feng Huang-nu (鳳凰女)38. By the co-operation between Tong Dik-seng and composers, masterpieces were created one after one. Sometimes the musicians suggested some pieces to Tong for writing lyrics. Sometimes the text was written first, and then the musicians created music for it. An example of the latter is Colourful Clothings (霓裳羽衣十八拍) from the scene “Rescuing Pei Yu” of The Reincarnation of Lady Red Plum (再世紅梅記之 脫阱救裴). Examples of the former include “Reunion” from Tale of the Purple Hairpin (紫釵記之劍合釵圓), which was arranged by Wong Jyt-seng from Moon Over Xunyang (潯陽夜月), and “Encounter” from Princess Chang Ping (帝女花之 庵遇、相認), which was arranged from one of the “Eight Famous Cantonese Pieces” Bidding Farewell by the River Qiu (秋江送別). By his highly creative power, Tong Dik-seng wrote operas of very high standard by employing ancient stories, ancient tunes and elegant lyrics, and his operas suit the characteristic styles of the specific actors.
Tong created a new “classical” style of Cantonese opera and injected new blood into this genre. This was achieved by his close working with musicians and the realisation of the scripts by the actors. He was strong in writing scripts that fit specific actors and their singing styles. For example, Pak Suet-sin and Yam Kim-fai were strong in personal expression, in singing zhongban (中板) and kuaiban (快 板 ), and in reciting. Many operas performed by the Sin Fung Ming Opera Company were dramatic and had subtle personal expression. There are quite a number of duets in these operas. Wu Jun-li (吳君麗, 1930- ) was strong in martial art and in playing the role of young lady. Tong tailored-made roles for her. Fang Yan-fen (芳豔芬) was good at singing, and Tong wrote many solo passages for her.
In this way, the expectation of the audiences was satisfied.
By reading the lyrics cited in the Listening Guides of this chapter, the readers will find that Tong Dik-seng paid much attention in creating couplets that used an elegant language. Such examples include “鴛鴦扣，宜結不宜解；苦相思，能買 不能賣。” (A pair of knots should be tied together rather than untied; the sad
38 This name is a stage name which literally means “Daughter of the Phoenix.” – Translator’s note.
longing between two lovers will persist and cannot be relinquished.39), “足踏蓮台 三尺浪，手挽雲端五彩牀。” (My feet are riding the several-feet high waves at the lotus deck; my hand is touching the multicoloured bed on the top of the cloud.40). Cantonese is a highly tonal language with nine tones. It is already difficult to write lyrics that are elegant. It is even more difficult to write lyrics that have to fit the drama and the characteristic singing styles of the actors. The two actors that performed the above two passages gave an excellent interpretation in zihou (子喉) and expressed the emotion and mood of the characters superbly.
Cantonese opera is highly adaptable to the changing environment and the taste of the audiences. To create masterpieces in a new style, it was necessary for different experts to co-operate and to experiment for a long period of time. These experts had to be well-trained in the tradition, knowledgeable about traditional singing passages and operatic stories, and at the same time had to be flexible, readily absorbing different elements from various kinds of art. It was also necessary for them to be able to distinguish the good from the bad in creating a new style.
39 English translation by Tse Chun-yan (謝俊仁).
Listening Guide
6.1 An Excerpt from Zhou Yu Writing a Letter to His King (周瑜寫表) (CD 3-13) Information of the Recording
Singer: Bai Yan-zai (白燕仔)
Title of the Record: Zhou Yu Writing a Letter to His King (周瑜寫表) (China Record, 1962)
Year of Recording: Uncertain Lyrics
（白）待我來一觀。
（鑼鼓白）弟亮有書來拜奉。
敬達都督小周公。
自從勞師與動眾。
假途滅虢也相同。
既是無才不可動。
若是無勇莫稱雄。
卵子焉能擋山重。
草蛇怎敢敵蛟龍。
莫要逞能把計弄。
速速收兵回江東。
勸都督，須保重。
應忍氣，莫稱雄。
從此後，且莫動。
若不知機，要你命歸終。
【首板】看過了書信心內痛。
(Synopsis: Zhou Yu is reading a letter from Kong Ming (孔明) which persuades him to retreat his troops.)
Listening Guide
Bai Yan-zai was a renowned singer of dahou (大喉). In this excerpt, the speech is not accompanied by any melodic instruments. The singer had to produce a resonant sound by using deep breaths. The words are clearly articulated.
Although this is an unaccompanied speech, there are some melodic elements in it, and the singer had to project the words in a certain melodic mode and in an appropriate rhythm. It is in a mid-way between singing and reciting. In the profession, there is a saying that “reciting is even more difficult than singing.” This saying acts as a reminder to the singers that they should be more hard-working on the speech than on the singing passages.
This excerpt is accompanied by the gaobianluo (高邊鑼). The speech is rhymed and made up of couplets. After each sentence, there is a percussion pattern (鑼鼓點).
The speech in this excerpt is recited faster and faster, which depicts the anger of Zhou Yu in reading a letter from Kong Ming (孔明). There is a ritardando at the end of the speech, on the words “mingguizhong” (命歸終, “You will be dead!”).
An ad. lib. singing passage in shouban (首板) follows. This excerpt vividly depicts the anger of the seriously ill Zhou Yu.
6.2 A Comparison of the Old Singing Style (古腔) and Pinghou (平喉) (CD 3-13 and CD 3-14)
Listen again to the excerpts from Zhou Yu Writing a Letter to His King (周瑜 寫表) (CD 3-13) and “Comforting the Wife” from Time to Go Hone (胡不歸．慰 妻) (CD 3-14). Try not to read the lyrics of the former excerpt when you are listening. Are you able to understand what is being sung? Write down your listening experience in about one hundred words. Compare the instrumentation and singing style of these two excerpts.
6.3 “Comforting the Wife” from Time to Go Home (胡不歸．慰妻) (CD 3-14) Information of the Recording
Singer: Xue Jue-xian (薛覺先)
Title of the Record: Commemorative Albums of Xue Jue-xian: Volumes 1 and 2 (薛覺先紀念專輯壹至貳集) (Bear Music, 1994)
Recorded in the 1940s Lyrics
【長句二黃慢板】
相對淒涼，相看神愴，嬌呀你梨渦淺笑，試問今何往，春山愁鎖淚偷藏，花 好偏逢的風雨放，苦命妻逢，我呢個苦命郎，恩愛難求，我嗰位慈母諒，惟 有低聲偷怨，怨一句天意茫茫。(lower line, ending with an even tone)
(Synopsis: The protagonist is thinking of his lover, and sighs that they are not able to be together.)
Listening Guide
The passage “Comforting the Wife” is completely in banqiang ( 板 腔 ), without xiaoqu (小曲). It is a famous scene from the Cantonese opera Time to Go Home written by Feng Zhi-fen (馮志芬). It was very famous in the 1940s and was a hit piece sung by Xue Jue-xian (薛覺先) and Shanghai Mei (上海妹)41. It has been used as a teaching material of Cantonese opera singing for a long time. In the profession, the singing style of Xue Jue-xian is known as “Xue Style” (薛腔) and it is characterised by its sharpness and clear quality.
Changju erhuang manban (長句二黃慢板) is a banqiang (板腔) created by Xue Jue-xian. It is characterized by the expansion of the number of words in a sentence and the shortening of the interlude between the upper line and the lower line. In the traditional bangzi (梆子) and erhuang (二黃) sung in xipeng guanhua (戲棚官話), the number of words in a sentence was either seven or ten, and there were not many chanzis (櫬字). In this passage created by Xue, the number of divisions in a sentence is increased and the interludes are shortened. It thus becomes a long singing passage, and there is more flexibility and freedom in writing the lyrics. The story becomes more dramatic and the development of the plot is quickened. The structure of this passage is as follows:
Introduction (起式): a couplet making up of either four, five or seven words
相對淒涼 (the first division) 相看神愴 (the second division) Main Body (正文): making up of
sentences of seven words, the number of sentences being flexible
嬌呀你梨渦淺笑 試問今何往 春山愁鎖淚偷藏
花好偏逢嗰的風雨放 苦命妻逢 我呢個苦命郎 恩愛難求 我嗰位慈母諒
(the underlined words are chenzis) Closing Section (收式): normally
making up of eight words
惟有低聲偷怨 (the first division) 怨一句天意 (the second division) 茫茫 (the third division)
(the underlined words are chenzis)
41 This name is a stage name which literally means “Girl from Shanghai.” – Translator’s note.
6.4 Autumn Grave (秋墳) (CD 3-15) Information of the Recording
Singer: Xiao Ming-xing (小明星, 1912-1943)
Title of the Record: A Commemorative Album of Xiao Ming-xing (小明星紀念專輯) (Hong Kong: Bear Music, 1987)
Year of Recording: Uncertain
She thought that the pieces that I wrote were better than others, and thus asked me to write some more new pieces for her. She also asked me to write some realistic contents, not something abstract. As her singing was particularly moving, I prefer to hear her singing than others. Therefore, I was very glad to write some more pieces for her.
- Wang Xin-fan (王心帆, 1896-1992) Lyrics
【南音】飄殘紅淚，哭斷迴腸。為你一杯誤飲，紫霞漿。正有明珠芳塚葬。
要我薜衣蘿帶，泣在山陽。只有秋菊寒泉，來薦上。等你芳魂來饗，就趁住 月兒微光。卿呀自你【乙反南音】死耗傳來，我魂魄喪。遺容泣對，似醉如 狂。
(Synopsis: The singer laments the passing away of his lover.) Listening Guide
Xiao Ming-xing intended to develop her career in Hong Kong, and specifically asked Wang Xin-fan to write this piece for her. The sentimental voice of Xiao Ming-xing matched the content of its lyrics perfectly and this piece was greatly acclaimed by the audiences of that time. Although the content of this piece is sorrowful, Xiao Ming-xing’s singing is not sluggish. Instead, it is flowing, undulating, with a lot of rising and falling. The audiences loved her singing because it was pleasing and had a special character.
In the seventh month of the lunar calendar of 1943, Xiao Ming-xing sang in a singing club located in Jiang Lan Avenue (槳欄路) of Guangzhou (廣州) after an illness. She sang Autumn Grave in the Tian Nan Restaurant (添男茶樓). She fainted when she was singing the lyrics “There were only night wind and rain accompanying the beauty.” ( 只有夜來風雨送梨花 ) and passed away on the following day at the age of thirty. Wu Yi-xiao (吳一嘯), a maestro writer of Cantonese operatic songs active in the 1950s and 1960s, wrote a piece called The Fall of a Rose in July (七月落薇花) in memory of Xiao Ming-xing. The plain
speech in the beginning says, “The Autumn Grave is the swan song. How pity it is that the rose fell in July!” (一曲秋墳成絕唱，可憐七月落薇花。). This piece was sung by Liang Ying (梁瑛) in the singing clubs and was later released as a recording.
The singers in the singing clubs sang in a more lyrical, undulating and flowing style than the singers in Cantonese opera when singing the pinghou (平喉).
For example, in the above excerpt, when the mode changes from zhengxian (正線) to yifan nanyin ( 乙 反南 音 ) in the lyrics “From the moment that you passed away. . .” (卿呀自你死耗傳來), the transition in the singing is very smooth and flowing. This change of mode draws the attention of the audiences and is very expressive.
6.5 An Excerpt from A Wanderer’s Autumn Grief (客途秋恨) (CD 3-16) Information of the Recording
Performer: Dou Wun (杜煥, 1910-1979)
Title of the Record: Naamyam [Nanyin] Songs of Love (訴衷情：香港文化瑰寶 杜煥瞽師地水南音精選—1975 年富隆茶樓現場珍貴錄音) (Chinese Music Archive, Department of Music, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007)
Recorded in 1975 Listening Guide
A Wanderer’s Autumn Grief is a famous piece of dishui nanyin (地水南音) originated from a poem with the same title in the Qing Dynasty. It was arranged as a piece of dishui nanyin during the reigns of the Emperors Jiaqing (嘉慶) and Daoguang (道光) (1760-1851). It talks about a story in which the literatus Miu Lian-xian (繆蓮仙) from Hangzhou (杭州) thought of the prostitute Mai Qiu-juan (麥秋娟) from Guangzhou (廣州). Miu Lian-xian was a real person who was born in Hangzhou around 1766 and later lived in Guangzhou for twenty-six years. The lyrics of this short piece of dishui nanyin are elegant and have an ancient flavour.
The present recording was recorded by the ethnomusicologist Bell Yung (榮鴻曾), who arranged to have the blind performer Dou Wun performed in the Fu Loong Teahouse (富隆茶樓), situated in Lascar Row (摩羅街) of Sheung Wan (上環),
Hong Kong in 1975. Yung recorded a total of sixteen pieces of dishui nanyin sung by Dou Wun, and this recording is one of them.
The structure of the lyrics of this piece is typical of dishui nanyin. It is divided into Book I and Book II. Each Book is subdivided into three sections: the introduction (起式), the main body (正文), and the closing section (煞尾). The introduction is short and made up of two sentences: “涼風有汛秋月無邊 / 虧我思 嬌情緒好似度日如年” (Winds are blowing, the moon is shining, and the time freezes when I am thinking of you). The main body is the longest section and is made up of a series of quatrains (see below). The closing section rounds up the piece and there is an accelerando in it. Similar to the banqiang ( 板 腔 ) in Cantonese opera, the melody of nanyin is realised by the performer by following the embedded melodic contour of the lyrics. The lyrics are rhymed, and the cadential musical notes of the last word of the sentences in a quatrain follow a fixed pattern. The linguistic tones of the last word of the four sentences of a quatrain are as follow: oblique tone, upper even tone, oblique tone, and lower even tone.
The mode of a nanyin piece may be in zhengxian (正線) or in yifan xian (乙 反線). In this recording excerpt, the zhengxian (the pentatonic scale of sol-la-do-re-mi) is used. In a passage of nanyin in zhengxian, the last sentence of a quatrain usually has a cadential musical note on sol, which, together with the lower even tone of the last word, gives the audiences a feeling of full closure. Other sentences of the quatrain end on either re or do, which forms a half closure. The following is a listening guide to the first few sentences of A Wanderer’s Autumn Grief:
0:00 The instrumental prelude, called banmian (板面). The performer played the zheng (箏) with the right hand, and the paiban (拍板) with the left hand.
0:30 The introduction
1st sentence: 涼風有汛 秋月無邊 (邊: upper even tone, ends on re) 2nd sentence: 虧我思嬌情緒 好似度日如年
(年: lower even tone, ends on sol)
1:08
The main body, in a series of quatrains 1st quatrain:
1st sentence: 小生繆姓 就係蓮仙字 (字: oblique tone, ends on re)
2nd sentence: 虧我為憶多情妓女 呢個麥氏秋娟
(娟: upper even tone, ends on re)
3rd sentence: 佢聲色係性情人讚羨 (羨: oblique tone, ends on do) 4th sentence: 佢更兼才既貌係兩雙全 (全: lower even tone, ends on sol)
2:12
2nd quatrain:
1st sentence: 今日天隔一方難見面 (面: oblique tone, ends on re) 2nd sentence: 使我孤舟沉寂晚涼天 (天: upper even tone, ends on re) 3rd sentence: 斜陽襯住雙飛燕 (燕: oblique tone, ends on do)
4th sentence: 我斜倚係蓬窗思悄然 (然: lower even tone, ends on sol) (Synopsis: The singer longingly thinks of his lover whom he has lost contact with.)
A complete recording of Books I and II of A Wanderer’s Autumn Grief lasts for about thirty minutes. The subsequent lyrics are omitted here.
6.6 Operatic Passages from The Red Candle Becomes a Buddhist’s Lantern (搖 紅燭化佛前燈) and Goddess of the Luo River (洛神) (CD 3-17, CD 3-18)
1. A Passage from The Red Candle Becomes a Buddhist’s Lantern (CD 3-17) Information of the Recording
Title of the Record: The Red Candle Becomes a Buddhist’s Lantern: Selected Popular Pieces Sung by Hong Xian-nu, Vol. 3 (搖紅燭化佛前 燈：紅線女金曲選（三）) (Bailey Record, 1991)
Year of Recording: Uncertain Listening Guide
The “Nu’s Style” (女腔) created by Hong Xian-nu (紅線女)42 has become a model of huadan (花旦) singing in Guangzhou after the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), whereas the “Fang’s Style” (芳腔) created by Fang Yan-fen (芳艷芬) has become a model of zihou (子喉) singing in Hong Kong.
Generally speaking, the Nu’s Style is emotional while the Fang’s Style is introverted. The range of “Tears of the Red Candle” is not wide. Hong Xian-nu used ornaments in singing the words in the lower even tone and lower entering tone, thus creating a special undulating effect of these words. This effect aptly matches the sentiment expressed by the protagonist in the opera whose role is first a prostitute but later a nun. She expresses a mixed feeling when thinking of her past lover:
身如柳絮隨風擺，
歷劫滄桑無了賴。
鴛鴦扣，宜結不宜解。
42 This name is a stage name which literally means “Lady of the Red Thread.” – Translator’s note.
苦相思，能買不能賣。
悔不該，惹下冤孽債。
怎料到賒得易時還得快。
顧影自憐，不復是如花少艾。
恩愛煙消瓦解，
只剩得半殘紅燭在襟懷。
(Synopsis: The singer sighs for her past romance, and that she is already in her middle age but is still single.)
2. A Passage from Goddess of the Luo River (CD 3-18) Information of the Recording
Title of the Record: Goddess of the Luo River (洛神) (original soundtrack, Eng Kin Film Company, 1957)
Year of Recording: 1957 Listening Guide
The Red Candle Becomes a Buddhist’s Lantern was written by Tong Dik-seng before his mature style, while Goddess of the Luo River was created during the peak of his creative power. In the passage “Sorrow of the Luo River” (洛水恨) from the final act, there are instrumental interludes during which the actor dances.
At the beginning of this passage, the dizi (笛子) plays an introduction, and the actor sings the lyrics “Misty, boundless and indistinct” (飄飄，渺渺，茫茫) in free tempo. Afterwards, the beats emerge. Many words in this excerpt are sung in short melismas, and the last word “han” (寒, “coldness”) is sung in a long melisma, depicting the leisure feeling of the goddess of the Luo River. This long melisma fully exhibits Fang Yan-fen’s soft, mellow tone quality and her introverted singing style:
飄飄，渺渺，茫茫。
足踏蓮台三尺浪，(interlude) 手挽雲端五彩牀。
縷縷紫煙織髮網，
六幅湘紗剪衣裳。(interlude) 別了蒼桑，執掌南湘，
仙界無台可望鄉，(interlude) 誓約難忘。
碧漢銀河無處傍，
一汀煙月不勝寒。(melisma)
(Synopsis: The protagonist has been sent away to work in southern Hunan, and has to be separated from his lover.)
Hong Xian-nu made a recording of “Tears of the Red Candle” again in the 1990s. The arranger this time was Peng Jia-huang (彭家榥). This recording’s singing is in a more mature style comparing to her recording of the 1950s.
Fang Yan-fen retired from opera performance in 1959. In 1987, she made a recording for the Kwan Fong Charitable Foundation ( 群芳慈善基金) and the record is titled A New Recording of Fang’s Style (芳腔新唱). In this record, she sang “Sorrow of the Luo River” again. The music was written by Wen Zhi-peng (溫誌鵬) and the arranger was Yan Guan-fa (嚴觀發). Compared to the recording made in the 1950s, this recording used more instruments and the arrangement is more “symphonic.” This quasi-symphonic style has exerted a big influence on Cantonese opera performance, and some big opera companies in Hong Kong have developed in this direction.
Extended Knowledge
6.1 A Comparison of Waijiang Ban (外江班) and Bendi Ban (本地班)
During the reign of Daoguang (道光) (1821-1850) in the Qing Dynasty, the government officials preferred the performance of waijiang ban (外江班, “troupes from other provinces”) to that of bendi ban (本地班, “local troupes”). As a result, there were more restrictions on the performance of the latter. The bendi ban were allowed to perform in the villages only so that the disturbance caused by their loud percussion instruments to the residents was reduced to a minimum.
Menghua Suobu (夢華鎖簿) written by Yang Mao-jian (楊懋健) in the Qing Dynasty is an important primary source for the history and performance context of Cantonese opera in that period. In this work, there is a passage describing the differences between waijiang ban and bendi ban:
Weijiang ban are troupes from other provinces. Their performance excels in the music and artistry. The audiences, mostly government officials, watch the opera and listen to the music while having dinner and tasting wine. The dance movement of the singers, who wear costumes, is elegant. The performance of bendi ban is not as good as that of weijiang ban. There are no literary bases for the stories of the bendi ban and their lyrics are not elegant. Moreover, there are fireworks shooting during the period of the bendi ban performance and it is extremely noisy. The government officials think that this causes disturbance to the life of the people, and thus restrict the performance of bendi ban to the villages. The music played by bendi ban is loud, and their costumes and sets are extravagant, which is not matched even by the performances in the capital. . . . Although there are good performances of bendi ban, the situation does not favour their performance and they are being suppressed. . . .
From the above quotation, we can see that there was a combat between bendi ban and weijiang ban. The bendi ban tried to outdo weijiang ban by having beautiful costumes and sets, and by performing more dramatic stories.
6.2 Dishui Nanyin (地水南音)
The music of Cantonese opera is divided into three categories, namely the banqiang (板腔), qupai (曲牌, fixed tune), and shuochang (說唱, narrative singing).
The shuochang originates from story-telling. There are many genres of shuochang in China, some famous ones being Suzhou tanci (蘇州彈詞) from the South and
jingyun dagu (京韻大鼓) from the North.
Genres of shuochang in China are generally closely related to their local genres of opera and music. The relationship of dishui nanyin (地水南音) and Cantonese opera is an example. In the Guangdong province, the main genres of shuochang include nanyin (南音), muyu (木魚) and longzhou (龍舟). They are all sung in Cantonese. Among them, the nanyin is most popular and is much used in Cantonese opera. The scriptwriter marks these passages as “nanyin” in the opera script.
Dishui nanyin refers to the type of nanyin sung by blind people. The type of nanyin sung in Cantonese opera is sometimes called xipeng nanyin (戲棚南音).
Dishui nanyin is also called Guangdong nanyin (廣東南音), to distinguish it from Fujian nanyin (福建南音), or nanguan (南管), popular in southern Fujian province.
The singer of dishui nanyin generally holds a paiban (拍板) in his left hand and plays the zheng (箏) by his right hand. The zheng used in nanyin is smaller than the 21-string zheng commonly used nowadays, and it is placed on a table in performance. Occasionally the yehu (椰胡) and yangqin (揚琴) are being used as accompanying instruments as well.
The social status of the artists of dishui nanyin is generally low. They are mainly blind people. The male artist is called gushi (瞽師), and the female artist is called guniang (瞽娘). The traditional performance venues of the nanyin were restaurants, brothels and opium clubs. The duration of a piece of nanyin ranges from some ten minutes to several dozen hours.
In the early- and mid-twentieth century, nanyin was very popular in the Pearl River Delta. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were broadcast programmes of nanyin in Radion Television Hong Kong (香港電台) sung by the famous blind artist Dou Wun (杜煥, 1910-1979), accompanied by He Chan (何臣) on the yehu. In 1974, they gave a performance at the Hong Kong City Hall. The nanyin got out of fashion in Hong Kong in the 1980s with the change of musical taste of the general public.
Famous living artists of nanyin in Hong Kong include Tong Kin-woon (唐建 垣), Au Kwan-cheung (區君祥) and Yuen Siu-fai (阮兆輝) (Yuen is also a famous Cantonese opera actor). To a certain extent, the xipeng nanyin continues the