The death of Mr. Tian Lihe in Tianjin triggered a heated discussion, and people talked about his cross talk generation with Ma Sanli, which is higher than that of Tian Lihe according to the industry inheritance pedigree.
On the 21st day of the eighth lunar month in Tianjin, as soon as the obituary announcing the passing of Mr. Tian Lihe was released, it immediately sparked widespread discussion within the crosstalk community.
The first thing
people discussed was not that the master had passed away at the ripe old age of 91, nor his reputation in the industry for a lifetime of dedication to traditional crosstalk, but rather a question that had lingered in many people’s minds for decades: between him and Ma Sanli, who held the higher rank within the crosstalk community?
The crosstalk community has always maintained a clear lineage system, with the “De,” “Shou,” “Bao,” “Wen,” and “Ming” generations distinctly ordered. The master-disciple lineage has long been recognized within the industry as a strict standard that brooks no ambiguity.Tian Lihe became a disciple of Zhang Shoucheng at the age of sixteen; he was the last student accepted by this master of the “Shou” generation and is a genuine member of the “Bao” generation—widely recognized within the industry as a living fossil of crosstalk’s generational hierarchy.He spent most of his life rooted in the teahouses and performance venues of Tianjin. His routines were down-to-earth and authentic, and the stacks of scripts he compiled and included in traditional crosstalk anthologies stood half a person’s height.In his later years, he spent much of his time in classrooms refining the craft of crosstalk for younger generations, wearing the same cotton shirt for over a decade and never once seeking fame or fortune throughout his entire life.
In old video footage
from earlier years, Ma Sanli can be seen standing beside Zhang Shoucheng, respectfully clasping his hands and addressing him as “senior brother.” These two veteran performers, both from the “Shou” generation, maintained a relationship as peers for decades.
This clarifies the matter.According to the generational hierarchy, Ma Sanli belongs to the fifth generation of the “Shou” generation, while Tian Lihe belongs to the sixth generation of the “Bao” generation. Since the “Shou” generation precedes the “Bao” generation, Ma Sanli’s rank is indeed higher than Tian Lihe’s.
There is further evidence to support
this point:Tian Lihe’s peers included such widely recognized masters of crosstalk as Hou Baolin, Liu Baorui, and Chang Baohua. Even Guo Degang would address Tian Lihe with the respectful title “Master” when they met—the stature of the “Bao” generation within the crosstalk community goes without saying.Throughout his life, Tian Lihe strictly adhered to this code of conduct in the crosstalk community. When younger artists came to seek his guidance, he taught them everything he knew without reservation. He never became entangled in the industry’s various pointless disputes, and the respect he earned through his genuine skill was universally acknowledged throughout the entire industry.This lineage system, passed down for over a century in the world of
crosstalk, embodies the professional codes of conduct that the older generation upheld throughout their lives—a commitment to integrity free from scheming or profit-seeking, and the artisan’s conscience dedicated to patiently passing on the art.From now on, whenever you listen to traditional crosstalk, remember the roots of this art form left behind by these veteran masters, and do not let the restless, corrupting winds of our times disturb the sound principles of the craft that have been passed down through generations.
