Gong Dairen

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Gong Dairen, Male, Qiang, from Mao, Sichuan, is a second-batch national representative bearer of Qiangdiyanzouji Making Craftsmanship (Ⅱ-38). The tradition is documented in Mao, Sichuan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Qiangdiyanzouji Making Craftsmanship in Mao, Sichuan: The qiang flute circulates in the Qiang villages around Chibusu and Shaba in Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, and its playing and making techniques are passed on by oral transmission within families and from master to disciple. Historical records state that before the Western Han the qiang flute had four holes; in the 1st century CE the musician Jing Fang added a higher pitch hole, making five; by modern times it had six. Making a flute requires selecting arrow bamboo that is straight-stemmed, round-bored and long-noded, with fairly even thickness from head to tail, bamboo flesh of suitable thickness and little tendency to split; the pitch is determined by the length and thickness of the tube, and the distances between holes must be exactly equal. Historical records state that before the Western Han dynasty the qiang flute had four holes; in the 1st century CE the musician Jing Fang added a higher pitch hole, making five.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

Male, of Qiang ethnicity, born in 1934 in Mao County, Sichuan. He is a national representative bearer of Qiang Flute Performance and Making Craftsmanship, a second-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. He made his living by farming. In 1950 he took as his teacher a transmitter of the Gong lineage of Qiang flute masters, learning from him the performance and making of the Qiang flute, and eight years later he completed his apprenticeship. Since the 1980s he has remedied the shortcomings of the traditional repertoire and of Qiang flute making, enhancing the melodiousness of the pieces and the accuracy of the instrument's intonation. The Qiang flutes he has made have been performed and exhibited in Japan, France, Taiwan, and other countries and regions. Within the documented technical tradition of Qiangdiyanzouji Making Craftsmanship in Mao, Sichuan: The qiang flute is a folk vertical wind instrument made of two bamboo tubes, each about 15 to 20 centimetres long with bores of the same size, bound together with silk thread and fitted at the top with bamboo reeds. It is used mainly for solo playing and has more than a dozen ancient tune patterns, the content of which is quite broad, mainly conveying the Qiang people's longing and yearning. The qiang flutes of the Chibusu and Shaba areas were brought by Qiang people who migrated south during the wars of the Qin and Han dynasties, from the western regions. In the Eastern Han, Ma Rong wrote in his "Rhapsody on the Long Flute": "In recent ages the double flute has risen among the Qiang." By modern times the qiang flute had come to have six holes. From this it can be inferred that the qiang flute has existed for at least two thousand years. The sound of the qiang flute often gives an impression of shadowiness and enchantment that moves the heart, and the Qiang people commonly use it to express their emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, of parting and reunion. Frequently played pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody". In playing the qiang flute mainly the puffed-cheek method of breathing is used: a single breath can sustain several minutes of playing, and even for a simple tune the technical demands are high. In addition, qiang flute playing employs techniques such as throat vibrato and finger glissando up and down; together with the slight interval difference of the double-tube construction and the resonance of the two reeds, these give the instrument its distinctive timbre and melody. Qiang flutes are generally made from arrow bamboo that is straight-stemmed, round-bored and long-noded, with fairly even thickness from head to tail, bamboo flesh of suitable thickness, a tough texture, fine dense fibre and little tendency to split; the pitch is determined by the length, thickness and size of the tube, and the distances between holes must be exactly equal, otherwise the intonation will be uneven. The pitch system, timbre and blowing techniques of the qiang flute are highly distinctive, making it a rare treasure in the treasury of Chinese ethnic instruments. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Song of the Broken Willow": Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody". "Melody of Longing": Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody". "Shalang Melody": Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody".

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

His work Celebration of a Bountiful Harvest won first prize at an international folk art festival.

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. Gong Dairen · National Representative Bearer Archive