Li Zhenyu

01 · Lineage & Regional School

In 1964 he studied the performance techniques of western Fujian Hakka shifan music under Wu Dajie, the sixth-generation transmitter, and became the seventh-generation transmitter of the tradition. He is especially skilled in erhu and sanxian performance and has attained considerable mastery in the hua qiang (florid aria) and ping qiang (plain aria) styles. Within the regional tradition and school record of Shifan Music in Longyan, Fujian: Neither the number of players nor the instruments of a western Fujian Hakka shifan band is strictly prescribed, ranging from five or seven members to ten or several dozen. The most basic instruments are the qudi, the luguan, the pipa, the sanxian, the erhu, the xiao panghu, the da panghu, clappers and the like, with the flute as the leading instrument. Performance is divided into seated and processional forms, with the clapper leader as conductor, the flute leading and the wen chang and the wu chang alternating; the titles of the pieces mostly depict scenery of mountains and waters and the customs and pleasures of Hakka life. Hakka shifan music of western Fujian took root in western Fujian as the Hakka people migrated south from the central plains, and in the course of its transmission it absorbed melodic and sung sections and quyi works from the operatic genres of successive dynasties, gradually taking shape. The genre is named for the ten instruments it plays, made of silk, bamboo, hide, wood and metal; it is also known as “shiban” or “wudui”, and it circulates mainly in Longyan city, Fujian Province, and in the Hakka counties and districts under it, being especially popular in the Changting and Liancheng area.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Han ethnicity, born in August 1948 in Liancheng County, Fujian Province. His performances of western Fujian Hakka shifan music feature flowing melodies, steady rhythms, and a lyrical, relaxed, and serene melodic style that highlights the tradition's unagitated and unhurried character. His representative pieces include Nan Ci (Southern Air) and Bei Diao (Northern Tune). Within the documented technical tradition of Shifan Music in Longyan, Fujian: Shifan music is also called “shiban” or “wudui”, named for the ten instruments it plays, made of silk, bamboo, hide, wood and metal. In addition, Hakka shifan music has absorbed melodic and sung sections and quyi works from the operatic genres of successive dynasties. Neither the number of players nor the instruments of a western Fujian Hakka shifan band is strictly prescribed; such a band generally has from five or seven members up to ten or several dozen. The most basic instruments of Hakka shifan music are the qudi, the luguan, the pipa, the sanxian, the erhu, the xiao panghu, the da panghu, clappers and the like, the flute being the leading instrument. The performing forms of Hakka shifan music are divided into seated performance and processional performance, the clapper leader acting as conductor. The flute leads and dominates, and the wen chang, the civil section, and the wu chang, the martial section, alternate with one another. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Bi Shui Shan Ya": A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music; its title depicts scenery of mountains and waters. "Hu Guang Liu Se": A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music; its title depicts the light on the lake and the shade of the willows. "Hao Hua Yuan Yue": A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music, taking as its theme the wish for fine flowers and a full moon. "Mei Lan Ju Zhu": A traditional piece of western Fujian Hakka shifan music, taking the “four gentlemen” as its theme.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

He is a representative bearer of Shifan Music (Western Fujian Hakka Shifan Music), a fourth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He is committed to training successors for western Fujian Hakka shifan music and has cultivated dozens of outstanding performers.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Li Zhenyu · National Representative Bearer Archive