A six-year-old boy recalls his father, the "Monkey King": dressed in a python robe, he saw "the world's monkey show"

　　China News Service, Shaoxing, March 16th: Title: A six-year-old boy recalls his father, the "Monkey King": dressed in a python robe, he saw "the world's monkey show"

　　Author Xiang Jing

　　"This costume is the python robe that my father has worn countless times when he played the role of Monkey King. It has also followed our father and son to perform in Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and other places around the world." March 16th marked the sixth birthday of the boy. On the 100th anniversary of the birth of Zhang Zongyi (formerly known as Zhang Zongyi), his son Liu Xiaolingtong (formerly known as Zhang Jinlai) returned to his hometown of Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province. When interviewed, he recalled the "monkey play life" of father and son.

　　Wearing a blue Chinese costume, a pair of red glasses, and a pair of red shoes, in the morning of that day, Liu Xiaolingtong, the actor who played Sun Wukong in the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West", appeared at one of the "series of activities to commemorate the centenary of Liulingtong's birth" "Donation Ceremony of Six-year-old Children's Personal Drama Collection".

On March 16, at the donation ceremony, Liu Xiaolingtong introduced his father and the python robe he had worn.

Photo by Xiang Jing

　　It has a bright yellow background and contains patterns of auspicious dragons and auspicious clouds... As one of the donated items, this precious python robe evokes the memories of six-year-old children.

Liu Xiaolingtong said that this costume has accompanied the father and son on many stages around the world and carries many unforgettable memories. "In the 1990s, I also wore it to play Sun Wukong and film the TV series "Monkey Boy". Now it looks like The texture is still very good, as if it had just been performed.”

　　Liu Xiaolingtong said that on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, he donated the costumes and props his father wore during his lifetime, as well as his collection of Shao opera literature and history materials to the Zhejiang Shao Opera Art Research Institute, "I just hope that everyone can Understand Shao Opera, fall in love with Shao Opera, and understand the past and present of Shao Opera. At the same time, I also want to comfort my father that generation after generation are promoting the art of Shao Opera and the art of monkey opera."

　　From the social opera written by Lu Xun to the "Shaoxing Taipan" and then to the name Shao Opera in 1950, the art of Shao Opera has gone through more than 400 years.

As a master of Shao Opera, Liulingtong created a unique Southern Monkey Opera and established a Shao Opera Monkey Opera performance system that integrates "human, divine and monkey" performances. He is known as China's "Southern Monkey King".

Especially in 1960, the Shao opera movie "The Monkey King Three Fights the Bone Demon" starring him was distributed to 72 countries and regions, and the Shao opera monkey opera became famous all over the world.

　　At the ceremony, records and posters of the Shao opera movie "The Monkey King Three Fights the Bone Demon" donated by six-year-old children were unveiled.

The one-meter-long poster was wrapped in a transparent bag, and the paper inside was a little yellowed, but the eight characters "Sun Wukong beats the Bone Demon three times" and the appearance of Sun Wukong and a group of little monkeys were clearly visible.

On March 16, six-year-old children donated drama records, historical materials, etc. to Zhejiang Shao Opera Art Research Institute.

Photo by Xiang Jing

　　"What my father left behind was not only the collections, but also his spirit of pursuing art. According to my father, Shao Opera was the source of his life and the root of his art." Liu Xiaolingtong said, under his father's guidance Next, he also embarked on a "monkey show life", "Especially when I was filming the TV series "Journey to the West", he always encouraged me and hoped that I would learn from his creative experience and methods instead of deliberately imitating, so in the end I had New Monkey King and Monkey King appear on the screen. This is something my father is very proud of."

　　The Monkey King in "Journey to the West" "goes to heaven and earth" and "conquers demons and demons". He is a "superhero" in the hearts of generations of Chinese people, and has also deeply influenced a large number of overseas audiences.

According to incomplete statistics, the 1986 TV series "Journey to the West" has been rebroadcast more than 4,000 times at home and abroad, becoming an unsurpassed classic.

　　Not only "performing a role in a lifetime", over the years, Liuxiaolingtong has also been doing "one thing" - promoting the monkey opera culture and Journey to the West culture to the world.

　　Liu Xiaolingtong said, "I will tell the story of "Journey to the West" wherever I go at home and abroad. For example, there are actors who play the role of Sun Wukong in Taiwan. We have shared our experiences with each other; I have also gone to MIT, Harvard University, We have exchanges with well-known universities such as Oxford University, and they also have a good impression of the Journey to the West culture."

　　The golden monkey rises with great strength, and the jade sky clears the air.

Six-year-olds have also discovered that more and more countries have their own "monkey kings".

"Next, I also hope to continue to use the image of Sun Wukong and the art of monkey opera to communicate with readers and audiences at home and abroad, so that Chinese opera, monkey opera culture, and Journey to the West culture can go to the world and communicate with the world."

　　"As my father often told me, monkey opera does not have the surname Zhang. It should belong to China and the world." Liu Xiaolingtong said.

(over)