At the foot of Qixing Mountain in Xinmin City, Liaoning Province, there is a folk storyteller named Tan Zhenshan who can tell more than a thousand folk stories. Many people call him a "living fossil" of oral literature. The characteristics of his storytelling activities are:
The number of stories he has mastered - more than a thousand; the quality and skills of storytelling are high - he is very popular in the local area. It is well-known and popular, and Chinese and foreign academic circles also highly recognized it after its investigation and collection; it has a long history of storytelling - it has been more than 60 years since it started telling stories at the age of fourteen; its storytelling activities have great influence - not only in its hometown The area is well-known. Since the 1980s, many scholars from Chinese and foreign academic circles have visited his home to collect stories, or stayed at his home to conduct in-depth investigations and research.
He is the first folk storyteller to go abroad so far. "Tan Zhenshan Oral Literature" was selected as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage projects of the State Council in 2006.
Listen to "Ancient Talks" to Accumulate "Wealth" at the Age of Six
Tan Zhenshan's ancestral home is Tanjiazhuang, Leting County, Hebei Province. In 1799, his ancestors immigrated to the Northeast. Tan Zhenshan was born in Taipingzhuang Village, Luojiafang Township, Xinmin County (now Xinmin City) on the tenth day of the eleventh month of the lunar calendar in 1925. When he was six years old, he begged his grandmother and step-grandfather to tell folk stories all day long. This was also the origin of "Tan Zhenshan Stories".
Grandmother Sun’s enlightenment education for her grandson started by telling stories. She left more than eighty stories to Xiao Zhenshan. Sun is a native of Shifosi Village, five miles east of Taipingzhuang. In the early years when trains were not available, Shifo Temple was the royal road into Beijing. Sun's father, Sun Laoyu, opened a large carriage shop next to the imperial road to provide accommodation for pedestrians, carriages and horses traveling from north to south. Sun has been helping out in the store since she was a child, and has heard many stories from past guests. She married into the Tan family in her twenties, and these stories were brought from her mother's family to her husband's family. Mrs. Sun is uneducated, but she is extremely smart and eloquent. Whatever she says is very pleasant to her ears. She likes to tell stories, and others like to hear the stories she tells. When Tan Zhenshan was a child, the Tan family had four generations living under one roof, with more than ten children. Sun tells stories not only to entertain herself and others, but also as an important means for her to coax her children. Sun is also good at telling traditional stories, "Kangtou stories" that reflect her identity as a housewife, and the most distinctive ghost fox story. When Tan Zhenshan mentioned his grandmother, he said with emotion: "The stories I heard at that time were overwhelming. When it comes to local stories, my grandmother told them best!" It can be imagined that Sun must have been a rare person when he was alive. A great country storyteller.
My step-grandfather Zhao Guobao was originally a carpenter in Xiushuihezi, Faku County, which is adjacent to Taipingzhuang across the Liao River. He is quick-tempered and usually does not bully the soft and is not afraid of the tough. In his hometown, his carpentry skills are very famous, and he soon became the top member of the Tan family. The old man loves his grandson just as much as his own grandfather, and he especially likes Tan Zhenshan. Xiao Zhenshan loved to listen to stories, so the old man told Tan Zhenshan all the stories he had heard from all his life of doing crafts and eating everywhere. Zhao Guobao usually tells stories in the evening, mostly ghost stories, followed by some interesting life stories and jokes. His love of telling such stories has a lot to do with his cheerful and optimistic personality, which is easy to talk and sing, and he can always sing folk songs. He also talked about some well-known local customs and legends about ancient and modern figures, especially the local legend of "Beard" (bandit). He left nearly a hundred stories, which Tan Zhenshan considered to be the most precious treasure left to him by his step-grandfather.
In 1932, in order to avoid his "beard", his family sent him to the home of his third uncle Tan Fuchen in Pangutai Village, seven miles southwest of Taipingzhuang. The third uncle has been studying for five or six years and is a Feng Shui master. That year, the arrival of Tan Zhenshan brought joy to him who was childless. He loved this nephew very much and wanted to adopt Tan Zhenshan into his own name, but this did not happen in the end. Tan Zhenshan lived in his home for two years. During this period, Mr. Tan Fuchen told Tan Zhenshan more than a hundred stories, most of which were full of folk beliefs in the Northeast.
Tan Zhenshan was interviewed by reporters
The stories told by Tan Fuchen have obvious characteristics of witchcraft and divination professions and folk beliefs, and the other are strange anecdotes in the countryside.
The profession of Feng Shui Master allows him to enter the deep houses of various households with a special identity and hear some relatively secret stories that cannot be told in public.
In the winter of 1934, when Tan Zhenshan was ten years old, his family moved back to Tazifen Village, Luojiafang Township, Xinmin County, and lived in the same hospital as the "old scholar" Shen Doushan. Shen's ancestors were from a wealthy family. When he was young, he failed in the scientific examination, so he lived in the countryside, teaching and farming. He tells stories to show off his status and knowledge to others. The villagers called him a "liar teller", but he seldom told the traditional stories about kangtouluo and ghosts, foxes and spirits. Most of the stories he told were about emperors, generals, ministers, talented men and beauties. In addition, there are those literati who recited poems and composed poems and life stories in which they were the protagonists. Shen Doushan is an important story inheritor outside Tan Zhenshan's immediate family. Tan Zhenshan received nearly a hundred stories from him. Tan Zhenshan said: "I like to listen to old Shentou telling stories. His stories have 'bones' (that is, there are pintou)." In the spring of 1936, the Tan family moved to Xin'anbao, Taipingzhuang, Luojiafang Township, and taught Mr. Guosheng Wu lives in the front and backyard. The Tan family lived in Xin'anbao for four years, and Tan Zhenshan heard more than fifty stories from Mr. Guo. Guoshengwu can be called a strange person in the countryside. He taught all his life. When he was young, he ate fasting, worshiped Buddha, and taught people the way to do good deeds. After he turned fifty, he spent his days distributing self-drawn talismans for peace and exorcism. During the day he behaves like a half-monk, but at night he is very humane and often takes the initiative to tell stories to the children. The types of stories he tells are quite diverse, with life stories that persuade people to do good deeds his "specialty", which later became Tan Zhenshan's "special story" that he often tells to others.
The stories told by the above five people form the backbone of Tan Zhenshan’s story genre. In addition, he also heard hundreds of stories from his uncle Cui Wen, his eldest brother Tan Chengshan, primary school teacher Li Yushu, and fellow villagers Zhang Xuefu and Liu Wanxin. He told the stories he heard to his classmates and began his story-telling journey.
In the summer of 1940, Tan Zhenshan graduated from the National Higher Primary School and started working as a farmer at home in 1942. Folk stories gradually spread to his neighbors through his mouth. In the winter of 1944, Tan Zhenshan was captured by the "Manchukuo" soldiers. After the liberation of China in 1945, he returned to his hometown to work in farming.
In 1948, when the whole territory of Xinmin was liberated, Tan Zhenshan worked as a clerk in the Land Reform Farmers Association. More and more people asked him to tell folk tales. After 1965, he successively served as village clerk, village accountant, and general manager of the farmland and water conservancy office of Luojiafang Commune. Tan Zhenshan was often seen telling stories in villages, communes, and farmland water conservancy construction sites. Tan Zhenshan entered the world of telling folk stories. climax stage.
During the "Cultural Revolution", in order to seek peace, Tan Zhenshan still closed his chatterbox.
In 1986, in the national folk literature census, Xinmin found that there were more than ten storytellers who could tell more than a hundred stories, and Tan Zhenshan ranked first. Tan Zhenshan was worried at the beginning. His children would not let the old man speak for fear of being labeled as a "pioneer in feudal society." He was even more worried. At this time, Li Huiyuan, the director of the Luojiafang Township Cultural Station, Jiang Fan, deputy editor of the Liaoning Provincial Folk Literature Comprehensive Editorial Committee, Fang Xuebin, chairman of the Xinmin Folk Literature and Art Association, and Xiang Yang, a worker of the China Democratic People's Political Consultative Conference, went to his home many times to mobilize. Allayed his concerns. At the same time, the heads of the Xinmin County Cultural Bureau and Cultural Center continued to encourage him, and Tan Zhenshan finally opened up the conversation that had been closed for nearly twenty years. According to statistics at that time, there were 686 stories, but now the number has reached 1,041.
Professor Jiang Fan, an expert on folk literature, often "digs" Tan Zhenshan
Tan Zhenshan can tell so many folk tales, which has attracted media attention. Many editors of well-known domestic folk tale publications, One after another, they requested manuscripts from collectors and organizers for publication.
On May 5, 1988, Junichi Nomura, a doctor of literature from Kugakuin University, and Chibeko Yida, a doctor of literature from Koriyama Women's University, made a special trip to visit Tan Zhenshan and recorded some folktales on the spot. In August 1992, at the invitation of the mayor of Tono, Japan, Tan Zhenshan went to Japan to participate in the "92 World Folklore Expo" and told experts and scholars from all over the world about his inherited folk tales "The Girl with a Broken Finger" and "The Fox Girl" Xiaomei" caused a great sensation.
Many scholars and experts attending the meeting were puzzled that an ordinary Chinese farmer could tell such a wonderful folk tale. Finally, after listening to the report "Chinese Peasant Storyteller Tan Zhenshan and His Storytelling Activities" narrated by Chinese scholar Jiang Fan, they all sighed deeply.
Excerpt from "Tan's" story "Eye-Opening"
In August 1994, 70-year-old Tan Zhenshan was hired as an outside counselor by a local primary school. He often tells children stories about studying hard and growing up to be pillars of society. Once, when the teacher was talking to him, he said: "Now some students are very sloppy in their homework. They either miss periods or forget parentheses, and the format is wrong. It's too annoying." Tan Zhenshan said: "I am an external counselor. Wait for me to explain. Try reminding them when telling stories." A few days later, Tan Zhenshan came to school to tell stories. He told a story about an "old man with white letters", which contained the truth that being careless and careless will cause trouble.
Tan Zhenshan tells stories to his neighbors and children
Tan Zhenshan is famous for "telling stories about ancient times". Neighbors come to him when they have big or small problems, especially when there is a dispute. Come and find him too, who calls him a "celebrity"? Once, two families of villagers had a quarrel over a barrier, and each had their own reasons. By chance, I met Tan Zhenshan when he came back from the street. After hearing the ins and outs of the conflict, he said with a smile: "None of you should stop fighting. Let me tell you a story." The quarrel between the two families was a loss of face. There was no sound. But the young man who was watching said: "Listen to Uncle Tan telling a story, and then you can continue to argue." This is "a fool setting fire - don't be afraid of making big noise!" Someone brought a chair to Tan Zhenshan, and because the weather was warm, everyone sat down Listening on the ground -
During the Qing Dynasty, there were two wealthy households on the street of Xiaotazi in the north of us. Old Li’s family in the east courtyard had a high-ranking official in the capital, named Li Lanbo, who was a governor. The second child is called Lan Ting, and he is very kind. Lao Wang's family in the West Courtyard is quite rich, but they just like to take advantage.
It rained heavily in July this year, lasting for several days. At that time, the earthen walls were all soaked. The men of Lao Wang's family in the west courtyard knocked down several walls in the rain that night. When Lao Li's family found that the wall had fallen down, they went to Lao Wang's family, saying that if they wanted to repair the wall, they would inevitably come to other people's yards and stomp on it. Lao Wang's family was also very easy to talk to: "What's the big deal? There are neighbors living there, so no one needs anyone else." When the sky cleared up, Li Lanting found a lot of people and prepared to build a base with shovels, two-pronged hooks and forks. Wall up.
As a result, with the end of Tan Zhenshan's story, the two villagers stopped arguing. They also said: "Distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors, and close neighbors are not as good as the opposite door. What should we have to deal with?" In 2005, 81-year-old Tan Zhenshan was invited by the School of Culture and Communication of Liaoning University to tell folk stories to undergraduate and graduate students. He was also the first person to tell folk stories in universities. The "big shot" has another shot!