Opening narration:

is the soul of budaixi performance. The frontstage puppeteer should do the most appropriate opening narration to guide the audience into the puppetry world by describing the identity and status of various roles and different occasions.

Every puppeteer should be able to distinguish the five tones, that is, to make the voices of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, Chou, to memorize the identity of the character, to read the “Si Lian Bai” (first soliloquy text) in classical Chinese, and to master the "eight tones and seven emotions" of each mood, so as to specifically express the character's happiness, anger, sadness, joy and other mental states.

In addition to being able to skillfully use the voice changes of the roles, the puppetry performers also need to have a wealth of folk literature literacy, which naturally expresses folk slang, agricultural proverbs, proverbs, ballads, rhymes, xiehouyu, joking words and literary allusions through the roles, to show the erudition of the puppeteers.

First Soliloquy Text
In the narration of budaixi, the most important thing is “Si Nian Bai" or “Si Lian Bai” (or "first soliloquy text") of each character stepping on stage. The puppeteer should recite the identity and state of mind of the character in elegant Chinese style. The following is the introduction of a few typical "Si Nian Bai."

Zhuangyuan (sheng): Read all poems, chant all poems; I must get first place in the final imperial examination, attain the Chuangyuan title, second to no one.
Xiaodan (dan): A real beauty with flesh of ice and bones of jade is meditating, wears light makeup like female guanyin; stays in her boudoir, wishes to have a bosom friend.
Wujiang (jing): Wear a gold, loud helmet, put on a battle armor; kings, dukes, generals and ministers are not destined to be what they are, a self-made man may climb the career ladder.
Laosheng (mo): Four seasons a year, twelve hours each for daytime and nighttime; idle people let time tick away, old people would never turn young.
Xiaosheng (chou): It is the original intention for a high official position, work hand in hand to comfort the whole life; engage in philandering, one night of ecstasy is worth a thousand in gold

Source:Hand Puppetry Digital Museum    《Click on me》

Compiled by:Chou Meng-chieh, Chou Yu-ning, Wu Hsin-yu