Yang Kuiju

01 · Lineage & Regional School

He has loved Yongyin Fagu since childhood and became a disciple of a teacher at the age of nine. Within the regional tradition and school record of Jinmenfagu in Hexi, Tianjin: The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu centres on the Guajia Temple street area of Hexi district, Tianjin; it derives from the monk of Dajue'an in the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, who stripped the religious elements out of Buddhist music, composed drum named tunes and passed them to the neighbouring villages. When it turns out it chiefly represents the splendour of Prince Shakyamuni going out to tour, some forty people taking part, divided into a civil and a martial field: the civil field is the ceremonial retinue, and the martial field, commonly called the “implements field”, is the percussion band. The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu originated in the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than two hundred years; it circulates mainly in Guajia Temple street and its surroundings in Hexi district, Tianjin. It is said that the founder of the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu was a monk of Dajue'an temple in Tianjin during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty; he stripped away the religious elements of Buddhist music, created a number of drum named tunes, passed them to the neighbouring villages and established fagu associations which performed them on New Year festivals and other festive days.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Yang Kuiju, male, Han, was born in November 1935 and is a native of Tianjin. He is thoroughly versed in fagu technique and has a firm command of the playing and the routines of five instruments, namely the drum, bo, nao, dangzi and chage, as well as of the routines Che Qi (Pulling the Banner), Liu Jiu Bo, Die Jinqian (Stacking Gold Coins), Lao Yue (Scooping the Moon), Juan Lian'er (Rolling the Blind) and Kua Gu (Carrying the Drum), and of the scores Fu Gui Tu (Chart of Wealth and Honour), Yinyang Yuer, Dui Lian (Couplets), Si Shi Ruyi (All Seasons as Wished), Bagua Tu (Diagram of the Eight Trigrams) and Xiu Qiu (The Embroidered Ball). In 1995 he became president of the local fagu society and led its members in public-benefit performances and academic exchange activities. Within the documented technical tradition of Jinmenfagu in Hexi, Tianjin: Fagu is an important item of the Tianjin folk flower gatherings; it derives from Buddhist music, and it is said that the earliest fagu troupe was the Dajue'an Jinyin fagu association. The instruments of a fagu association consist of drum, cymbals, nao, small cymbals (gezi) and small gongs (dangzi), the drum taking the lead and standing at the centre of the band; the cymbals stand left and right, seven or eight players to each, while the gezi and dangzi have two players each, all behind the drum. In performance all the hand-held instruments must be played in the showy manner called “shua”, and the players take turns performing. The beginning of a performance is called “kai”: the drum is struck several times first, then the head cymbals are struck four times in succession, after which all the instruments play together from their scores. In a procession, however, only the gezi and dangzi play the named tune Chang Yuan Dian in order to keep the steps in time. A fagu has about a dozen suites of named tunes, those in common use being Lao Xi He, Yao Tong Gu and others. There are many folk fagu associations, the better known including the Guajia Temple Qingyin fagu, the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu, the Liuyuan Xiangyin fagu, the Longting Jingyin fagu, the Jiyuan Huayin fagu and the Houjiahou Yongyin fagu. Fagu was originally a Buddhist ritual instrument; the drum head is covered with the skin of the finless porpoise and the body is rather large. When the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu turns out it chiefly represents the splendour of Prince Shakyamuni going out to tour, some forty people taking part, and it is divided into a civil and a martial field. The civil field is the ceremonial retinue, which in procession is arranged in order and moves in single file; it is imposing and distinctive. The members shoulder more than ten loads such as tea stoves, dragon poles, snack boxes and boxes of clothes and costume, which rise and fall rhythmically with the beat of the drum. The martial field, commonly called the “implements field”, is mainly the band; the various percussion instruments play according to definite named tunes and scores, and the drum, cymbals, nao and cha leap up and down in the accompaniment, striking left and right, performing movements such as “wrapping the head and face” and “fishing the moon from the sea”; the rhythm slows and quickens, rises and falls with leaps and bounds, the emotion stirring and the atmosphere ardent. The Yongyin fagu performance shows both the beauty of masculine strength and the delicate charm of feminine grace, with voice and feeling in full accord and a natural harmony. The equipment and decoration of the civil field are mostly inset with glass and bear patterns of colour painting or openwork relief, carved with great delicacy. The named tunes played by the percussion instruments are of six principal kinds, including Fu Gui Tu, Yin Yang Yu, Dui Lian, Si Shi Ru Yi, Ba Gua Tu and Xiu Qiu. Whether in the civil field or the martial field, all kinds of props, implements and decorations are made up in pairs, in couples and in sets. The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu has exquisite props and a marked character, enjoys a high reputation in Jinmen, and is a unique flower of folk art rich in local flavour in Tianjin. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Lao Xi He": One of the named tunes in common use in fagu. "Yao Tong Gu": One of the named tunes in common use in fagu. "Chang Yuan Dian": In a procession only the gezi and dangzi strike this named tune, in order to keep the steps in time. "Ceremonial and percussion sections": A Yongyin fagu procession is divided into a civil field and a martial field: the civil field is the ceremonial retinue, which in procession is arranged in order and moves in single file; the martial field, commonly called the “implements field”, is mainly the band, the various percussion instruments playing according to definite named tunes and scores.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

National representative bearer of Jinmen Fagu (Yangjiazhuang Yongyin Fagu), a fifth-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. In 2007 he was awarded the title "King of Drums of Jinmen" by Tianjin Municipality.

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. Yang Kuiju · National Representative Bearer Archive