Xuezongfeng

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Xuezongfeng, Male, Han, from Jia, Henan, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Gong and Drum Art (Ⅱ-123). The tradition is documented in Jia, Henan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Gong and Drum Art in Jia, Henan: Gong-and-drum music is a relatively common form of folk instrumental performance in China; it is widely distributed, and is found in Hebei, Tianjin, Shanxi, Shanghai, Henan, Hubei, Shanxi and other places. Jia County large brass percussion is rough, uninhibited, simple and true in style, and is deeply loved by the local people. Jia County large brass percussion is mainly current in Jia County, Henan, and radiates to the surrounding counties and cities such as Pingdingshan, Baofeng and Ruzhou; it began in the late Eastern Han dynasty, has a history of more than 1,700 years, and is a typical representative of traditional Chinese percussion music.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Xuezongfeng is anchored in the documented technical standards of Gong and Drum Art in Jia, Henan. Within the documented technical tradition of Gong and Drum Art in Jia, Henan: Although the instruments used vary from place to place, they consist mainly of high-volume percussion instruments such as gongs, drums, naos and cymbals; the rhythm is stirring and sharply marked, the performance scenes are grand, the artistic style is marked by imposing momentum, martial vigour and ardent warmth, and it is performed mainly at various folk auspicious celebrations and ceremonial occasions. Xiping large brass percussion is a traditional New Year percussion music current in Xiping County, Henan Province; it belongs to the surviving sounds of Sui and Tang court music and has a history of more than 1,400 years. The instruments used in performance mainly include the large nao, the large cymbal and the large drum; the timbre is ringing and rough and uninhibited; the traditional performing techniques include chuan, liao and flipping the naos and cymbals, mutual striking, muffled striking and so on. Xiping large brass percussion is used mainly for New Year noise-making, New Year greetings, birthday congratulations, pacifying the household, sacrifices and blessings for good fortune; in performance it is matched with figure dances and traditional virtuoso feats, serving to set off the scene and create the atmosphere. A Xiping large brass percussion band generally numbers from 15 to 60 people; it has 149 inherited tune patterns, of which more than fifty are in common use. Jia County large brass percussion takes the drum, nao, cymbal and gong as its principal instruments; its rhythm is flexible and its content rich, and it has 36 representative traditional tune patterns such as 【Wu Hu Xia Xi Chuan】, 【Ma Mian Chuan】 and 【Hu Lei Pao】, most of them named after their historical background. The pieces make extensive use of 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/4 time signatures, and contain a large amount of syncopated rhythm. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Wu Hu Xia Xi Chuan": One of the 36 representative traditional tune patterns of Jia County large brass percussion; most of them are named after their historical background. "Ma Mian Chuan": One of the 36 representative traditional tune patterns of Jia County large brass percussion. "Hu Lei Pao": One of the 36 representative traditional tune patterns of Jia County large brass percussion. "Thirty-six representative pieces": Jia County large brass percussion takes the drum, nao, cymbal and gong as its principal instruments; its rhythm is flexible and its content rich, and it has 36 representative traditional tune patterns; the pieces make extensive use of 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/4 time signatures, and contain a large amount of syncopated rhythm.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Xuezongfeng was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Gong and Drum Art, with Jia, Henan as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Gong and Drum Art in Jia, Henan: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Jia, Henan as its declared area, and Jia County Cultural Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

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. Xuezongfeng (Jia, Henan) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Xuezongfeng · China ICH Official Archive