Study On The Relationship Between Shanxi Merchants In The Qing Dynasty And Middle Road Bangzi

At the beginning of Qing Dynasty when the northern Zaju still prevailed and Kunqu Opera and Yiyang Opera were in the ascendant,Bangzi tune quietly emerged in the junction of the south of Shanxi,Shaanxi and Henan.It inherits the general style of Beiqu Opera,which contains fewer tunes and more words,and whose tune is high and urgent.Based on the folk songs and rap songs widely circulated in the area,Bangzi tune draws on the mature performing arts and plot arrangement of Kunqu Opera and Yiyang Opera,to form their own basic appearance and put on a story.In the Qianlong period,there appeared a class organized by local people in the central and northern part of Shanxi.During the Tongzhi period,the artists who were active in Jinzhong,influenced by the long-term edification of Yangge and the prosperity of the commercial economy,pursued the gentle and charming style deliberately,and began to reform the musical form of Yangge,which made the tune have a unique personality.Therefore,the tune is divided into two parts.Those which are popular in Jinzhong are called “Xialudiao”,and those which are popular in North Shanxi are called “Shangludiao”.The original Bangzi tune is called “Nanludiao”.After the founding of the People’s Republic of China,they were named Puzhou Bangzi(south road),Zhonglu Bangzi(lower road),Beilu Bangzi(upper road).In the formation and development of Zhonglu Bangzi(lower road),Shanxi merchants played an extremely important role.Shanxi merchants were the driving force for the shaping and development of Zhonglu Bangzi.They built opera houses and clubs to spread the art of Chinese opera,funded opera troupes and trained opera talents,and reformed the music system and arranged opera plays.On the contrary,Zhonglu Bangzi also had a certain impact on Shanxi merchants.To beigin with,there are various images of merchants in Zhonglu Bangzi.Some of them scrupulously abide by filial piety and righteousness and some are honest and kind-hearted with their country in mind while some are sinister and treacherous,and some are helpless and can only rely on the power of God when being faced with complex family contradictions,and so on.Second,Zhonglu Bangzi reflects the management culture of Shanxi businessmen,such as harmonious work,loyalty,integrity in business,justice over profit,broadness and generosity,hard-working spirit and so on.Third,Zhonglu Bangzi enriched the spiritual world of the merchants.Fourth,Zhonglu Bangzi is also conducive to the development of Shanxi Merchants Road,the promotion of social status,and shows the merchants’ attitude to life.