"Guys, are you ready? ”“Ok.”“Take your instruments, we come to play. ”

    Scratchy roar was still across the stage, 11 people already had began to move up. At this moment, sound of gong, drum, Yueqin, Erhu, clapper, bell, wood  all in-ear.

    Aged 63, Zhang Ximin handing Yueqin opened his throat. When singing to a climax, the remaining ten persons were echoed in unison. Sound waved above waved, endless.

    Zhang Siji,two ages younger than Zhang Ximin，put the handed pipe into the back neck, swunging a bench ran onto the stage, he reset the bench legs, holding the frightened wood knocked violently.

    73 years old "white-haired" Wang zhenzhong was flagging before, but became emotions at this moment, while playing Yueqin, he went along with the roaring crowd, sometimes even laughed out. When his turn to lead singer, he put down the Yueqin,took the water bowl from his pocket which did not install the narghile tobacco or water, pretentiously to have a smoke.

    Indeed, this is just Huayin Laoqiang.

    Their original performances is their lives. There was person who taking pictures to Huayin theatrical troupe in a village discuss. When in chatting, people began playing musical instruments and singing up.In this noisy moment, a young married woman opened the door and came in, pushed his husband, "It’s time to have dinner". Men putting down Erhu followed without demur as quickly as possible. He had just put down, a person sitting next took Erhu immediately, then again played.

Soon, the man carried a large bowl back.His hula hoop to poured food into, then put bowl on the table, with sleeve to wipe his mouth, said "go away", took his own Erhu, started to play.

But the audiences could not see these. Combining traditional Laoqiang and shadow play, what people listen to Laoqiang is a few shadows on a white curtain, performers would cover themselves with a tight curtain, viewers even did not see one of their legs.

Ten years ago on a cold winter night, Zhang Ximin’s troupe was singing in the suburb. On the stage, puppets were on hand-to-hand combatting, opera singing was passionate, where far away can be heard. But only three people watched under the stage.

Two old men around the furnace warmed themselves who didn't see the show. The other young fell asleep leaning on a tree. He had came to supervision.

This scene was seen by Dang Anhua who is cadre of Huayin Culture Bureau of Shaanxi Province. He has once worked as head of the local troupe, after working in the Bureau, he still couldn't get over feelings about Opera, so he often rode a motorcycle throughout the theater. At that time, he wanted to tell the troupe that no one watched under the stage and their play can broke up. But when opened the curtain, Dang was shockingly attracted by scenes inside.

Lead singer Zhang Ximin embraced Yueqin, head up singing loudly. Shadow puppet"operator" waved puppets, occasionally shouted a few sounds. Banhu player who used clapper closing his eyes in playing his violin could not see clearly, but we can hear the wooden stool took "Dub" sound.

He watched for a while, but no one paid attention to him or nobody asked him what to do. “They sang very self-involved, very self-forgetted and intoxicated. I came up an idea, silhouette is more exciting than shadow play, if moved behind scenes to the front, it will certainly attract a lot of spectators.”Dang Anhua recalled.

Currently, he is Director of the Huayin Laoqiang Protection Center as well as Director of this Laoqiang team which does not have name. Team fixed at 11 people, all of them are rural Laoqiang artists.

Both lead singer Zhang Ximin and "white-haired" already have their own teams, now are all "Coopted" by Dang Anhua.

Zhang Ximin is tall, hoarse voice, when in show he likes wearing a dark red Chinese dress, he always holding the Yueqin quietly sits on a high stool in the background. Music drum is octagonal, Laoqiang performance cannot leave without it.

In 1962, he began to study Laoqiang, his father gave the music instrument to him, now we can also see the brush writing "62" on it. He was just 15 years old at that time, only after 5 months that he performed on the stage, the play“Ruo Cheng Conquest the South”made his reputation. It is said that he "angried Quansheng, scared white-haired " (Quan Sheng is Zhang Quansheng, white-haired is Wang zhenzhong, both Laoqiang stars).

Learning skills requires painstaking effort. Every day he got up before dawn to hang on voice before the village pond. As the old saying goes, learning singing must face the water to protect the throat.It was also stated that dranking urine can protect throat,therefore, he perserverantly forced himself to drink urine for a month.

Later, Zhang Ximin set up Laoqiang team in his own name, so reputation is becoming increasingly loud. Huayin and the surrounding counties, even with the junction of Shaanxi, Shanxi and Henan have left footprints of this team. A few years ago, welcoming Zhang Ximin to sing is a symbol of dignity in local. Of course, he would be treated with courtesty and hospitality.

Throughout the 80th, Zhang Ximin can play one hundred Laoqiang shadow plays on a year, even in some years can reach two hundreds. But in the late 90th, business has plummeted, only forty or fifty performances a year can be very good. So did other teams.

Customs have changed. Weddings, celebrations and worships are used to unlack of Laoqiang puppets in the past, but in recent years seldom invite traditional classes, which already instead by films and performing art evenings.

 “The best time has passed away, fewer and fewer people request our play.”Zhang Ximin said with a laugh. Nowadays, performing in theater, no one gave him tea in the background any more, even sitting stool needed to self-taken.

    Without shadow puppet play, Laoqiang becomes popular on the coutrary.

Some have such described: The year of 2008, in Nanjing long-distance bus station, in waiting time Laoqiang “The Genaral Make a Sonic to Mountain” was on TV, at that time suddenly shocked by coincidence, a bunch of people watching television around were shocked to frustration. Then after slow coming to mind, people just brought the cheapest tickets directly fly to Shaanxi Province to find Laoqiang.

This Huayin Laoqiang song is assessed as: “By Yueqin, Huqin, homemade clapper and bell,even a long bench and some librettos that contain a thousand metal voice which make listening people of blood from the heart. Really fucking hot.”What’s more,there is an exclamation that Laoqiang performances as “Qin Military Revived”, reminiscent of “The valiant Qin troupe to retake my country, blood does not drain, never truce war even if death”.

Ten years ago, when the film was broke up with not many people watching, Dang Anhua once said to unfamiliared Zhang Ximin why not consider removing scenes and performing directly face the audiences. Zhang Ximin dully replied: “ We performe behind the scene in generations,how can we perform in front? ”

A few days later, Dang Anhua rode a motorcycle to Double Spring village from Huayin 10 miles away to visit Zhang Ximin. Zhang Ximin convening a number of Laoqiang artists debated with Dang. Having studied history of Laoqiang and shadow play, Dang Anhua now tried to convince them that Laoqiang comes before shadow puppet play, so he advocates new forms of performance which actually makes Laoqiang “back to its original state” .

Despite the situation was not good, but this traditional skill is still reserved to resist. Until a few months later, when Dang Anhua came to Double Spring village for the second time, Zhang Ximin finally agreed to have a try.

The first rehearsal program is “Saving Mother from Huashan mountain”. This is a traditional Laoqiang relevant of Huashan. Having rehearsed for more than ten days, Zhang Ximin and nine Laoqiang artists for the first time performed in front of experts. After the end of the show, some experts suggested adding musical instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass so that the entire show can be modernisation. “Baloney! What I want is the original flavor.”Dang Anhua angrily rejected these proposals. But for this show, he still felt disatisfied with the music too narrow and characters not full enough. He decided to put it aside for a period.

In 2003, Dang Anhua designed 12 minutes of "Ancient Rustic" with not specifically story but through music and character actions to show daily life in rural areas. At the same time, Zhang Ximin and other people also practice traditional piece“Taking Zhongshan”.This show was unanimously affirmed.

It is from this year, Laoqiang artists such as Zhang Ximin began a completely different career compared to the past. As Dang Anhua grouped team, they performed with remuneration. When no performance, they can organize their own classes, singing traditional programs.

In traditional performance, a Laoqiang shadow puppet play usually sings a play and two or three opera highlights. The play is often up to 3 hours, opera highlight is very short with only a few minutes. And now the performance, each show is short, long of no more than 10 minutes, short of only two or three minutes.

In the whole process, Dang Anhua has made up more than 70 programs for this team. Now it often played two night evening parties and 23 programs. One party called "Laoqiang Original Concert", and the other called "Laoqiang Music Painting · Live". Time of each party is about one hour. For traditional scripts, Dang Anhua only takes the climax part.

　　This group of artists whose average age over 60 years old, at the beginning they were often very uncomfortable by “Directed”. Zhang Siji used to be slot in Zhang Ximin’s team who beats the bell and clapper, now his performance of hitting the bench is one of the most popular sections. His impatience to follow arrangement of Dang Anhua, only behavior according to his own will. Dang could not allow him, so once Zhang refused to work, Dang was so angry that kicked down a bench. However,just this kick stimulated an inspiration. From then on, Zhang Siji finally accepted this action.

Running team is a hard work in the past. Around the table is surrounded tight, summer is hot to death, which also hangs on a 300 watt light bulb; Winter is usually only with a small furnace fire so that hands are often chilblains. Now it is usually in large theater, condition is much better, but often not sing self-enjoyable.

In early November this year, a television station wanted to make Huayin Laoqiang. On the second floor of Zhang Ximin’s house, there is a narrow room which originally for their own class rehearsal. Since began to show with Dang Anhua, this room is out of use. This event of shooting, it just in time began to screen out.

People are readily available, soon having played posture. Zhang Ximin was lead singer, his younger brother Zhang Shimin manipulated puppets, elder brother Zhang Zhuanmin played Banhu, Zhang Siji was behind with Zhang Xinmin of the same village helped. A 300-watt bulb was lighting up, shadow puppets were wielding, Zhang Ximin opened up his throat.

But just singing for a while, reporters say that’s enough, no more needed.

 “Not satisfied”Zhang Ximin muttering said.

He has for many years not sung a whole play. But a few days ago, he found a chance of singing more than half an hour, which is to his heart’s content.

There were two guests came to visit who are Laoqiang Opera stable fans nearby. When in chatting, one person said to Zhang Ximin: "Could you show us now? ”

"Ok,come on!”

Then it was beginning. A Yueqin, an Erhu, a bell and a pair of wooded clapper enough.

When Zhang Ximin finished each sentence, people played Erhu,clapper would go along with a sound. Shouting to audiences’ ear was like thunder. While singing, the old man swunging Yueqin drawed a circle in the air. Player who knocking wood hit a small stool violently. In the end, the stool was smashed full of bumps and hollows.

In the following, Zhang Ximin changed his generous vehement style, the sound became melodious and slow. Instruments in two partners’hands also accompanied the sound of euphemisms.

 “Without spirit we sing Laoqiang, when finished we come to earth.”Zhang Ximin laughed.