Nuo Culture - Legacy of Chinese Ancient Drama
** Nuo drama in Guichi, Anhui Province
In Guichi, a nuo performance consists of three parts: the
ritual, the dance and the drama, blending worship with recreation. Primitive
features are reflected in the masks, costumes and props, as well as the overall
performance style. This is the oldest dramatic form in China, regarded as a
living fossil of Chinese drama.
In the evening, hundreds of villagers travel dozens of miles to fetch the nuo
mask trunk from the temple
or another clan, and carry it to their own ancestral hall. Every household makes
offerings at the hall to honor their ancestors and the gods, and offers chicken
blood to welcome the masks. A specially designated person arranges the sacred
nuo masks in a prescribed manner.
 The nuo drama begins around 7 pm and continues until early the next
morning. When the drama is about to begin, guns are fired to announce the coming
of the nuo procession. After the performance, the masks are carefully and
cautiously counted and placed back into the trunk.
The worship of the god of earth is held during the day. During this
ritual, villagers perform the nuo dance to pray for good weather and health.
After the ritual, they return to the village to perform dramatic pieces on
stilts.
At the Yuanxiao Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the
first lunar month, all of the clan members carry the nuo mask trunk to Qingshan
Temple to worship the nuo gods.
** Nuo drama in Luoga village, Guizhou Province
Luoga village is located in the Weining Yi, Hui and Miao Autonomous County in
the western part of Guizhou Province. Luoga villagers are the only people who
can perform the nuo drama for "Cuotaiji." In the Yi language, Cuotaiji means an
"era when mankind appeared."
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