Tang Shouyi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Tang Shouyi, Male, Miao, from Pengshuimiaozutujiazuzizhi, Chongqing, is a fourth-batch national representative bearer of Lion Dance (Ⅲ-5). The tradition is documented in Pengshuimiaozutujiazuzizhi, Chongqing. Within the regional tradition and school record of Lion Dance in Pengshuimiaozutujiazuzizhi, Chongqing: High-platform lion dance is a traditional dance distinctive to the folk of Pengshui, Chongqing, with a history of about one hundred and fifty years and considerable influence among the local people. In Pengshui, lion dance can be divided into ground lion dance and high-platform lion dance. High-platform lion dance has a history of about one hundred and fifty years in Pengshui. According to the records of the Cultural Centre of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, local lion dance is divided into two lines, the ground lion dance and the high-platform lion dance: the ground lion dance is used for everyday festivals, birthdays, weddings and funerals, opening celebrations and similar activities, while the high-platform lion dance, performed on an erected platform of stacked tables, is used mostly for major festivals and competitions, and in performance is often joined together with the ground lion dance. The Tang family troupe is the main transmission group of Pengshui high-platform lion dance; in 1955 Tang Shouyi studied the performance of high-platform lion dance and the craft of making the lions with the transmitters Tang Wangu and Tang Shixi, and afterwards headed the affairs of the Tang family troupe for more than thirty years. High-platform lion dance takes the stacking of square tables into tiers as its basic form; the number of tables stacked depends on the site, the manpower and the degree of difficulty, ranging from seven tables at the least, usually fifteen, as many as twenty-four, and up to one hundred and eight at the limit; the highest tier is called 'a stick of incense'.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, Miao ethnicity, born in September 1942, a native of Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, Chongqing Municipality. In 1955 he learned the performance of the high-platform lion dance and the craft of binding the lion from Tang Wangu and Tang Shixi, transmitters of the dance. He has performed the high-platform lion dance for more than fifty years and has directed the affairs of the Tang family troupe of high-platform lion dance for more than thirty years, his performing skill being consummate and superb. His high-platform lion dance is lofty, startling, perilous and extraordinary, while his ground-level lion dance is comic and humorous; in performance he also imitates the movements of lions and other animals and of human beings, and he has created routines such as Deng Huangdong'er (Stepping on the Yellow Winter), Da Yangjiao Zhuang (Striking the Ram's Horn Stake), Yaozi Fancha (the Sparrowhawk's Somersault), Che Lian Gai Guai (Pulling the Chain to Cover the Crutch), Gou Lian Dang (Dogs Joined at the Crotch), Hai Pa Gou (the Sea-Crawling Dog), Fan Tian Yin (Overturning the Heaven Seal), Huanglong Chan Yao (the Yellow Dragon Coiling round the Waist), Lanniu Kun Tang (the Lazy Ox Stuck in the Pond) and Ren Qi Ren (a Person Riding a Person). He has taught close to a hundred disciples of the Tang family and of other surnames. Within the documented technical tradition of Lion Dance in Pengshuimiaozutujiazuzizhi, Chongqing: The ground lion dance is used mainly for everyday festivals, birthdays, weddings and funerals, opening celebrations and similar activities. The high-platform lion dance, performed on an erected platform of stacked tables, is used mostly for major festivals and competitions, and in performance is often joined together with the ground lion dance. The most central part is the aerial performance: the platform is built from square tables, at least 7 of them, usually 15, as many as 24, and up to 108 at the limit. The lion dancers wear painted lion-patterned garments about two metres long and, under the guidance of the leader, step to the rhythm of gong, large drum, small drum, cymbals and jiao provided as percussion instruments, rising layer by layer from the first tier right up to the highest tier, called 'a stick of incense'. When performing on each tier, the lion has to pass through every single square table. On the 'stick of incense' the lion playing and pillar-standing performances are carried out. High-platform lion dance has performance routines such as stomping the yellow winter gourd, striking the sheep-horn post, the kite turning its fork, pulling the chain to cover the crutch, the flipping seal, the yellow dragon girding the waist, the milk cow trapped in the pond, dogs linked crotch to crotch, pulling the sea-flattening dog, threading the ring, the lion on a tall pole seizing the embroidered ball, and gliding around the bench. In performance, not only are the movements thrilling and difficult, but the archaic, amusing performance style, rich in flavour, also makes it deeply popular with the people. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Yizhuxiang (the single incense stick)": The topmost table of the stacked platform, reached only after climbing level by level; lion play and pole-standing are performed there, making it the hardest and most dangerous episode. "Deng huang dong er, da yang jiao zhuang, yao zi fan cha and che lian gai guai": A group of routines imitating beasts leaping, rolling and grappling; archaic in flavour, playful yet difficult, and shared with the ground lion dance. "Fan tian yin, huang long chan yao, nai niu kun tang, gou lian dang and che hai pa gou": Another set of routines built on turning, waist-coiling, pinning and threading moves, which Tang Shouyi partly reworked from lion and human behaviour. "Lion seizing the embroidered ball on a tall pole and walking the bench": Two skill episodes: seizing the embroidered ball atop a tall pole, and walking and turning on a bench, both demanding balance on narrow supports.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of Lion Dance (High-Platform Lion Dance), a fourth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project.

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. Tang Shouyi · National Representative Bearer Archive