Hong Yuqing

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Hong Yuqing, Male, Hui, from Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Gong and Drum Art (Ⅱ-123). The tradition is documented in Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong. Within the regional tradition and school record of Gong and Drum Art in Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong: It has a broad mass base, embodies the united spirit and fine traditions by which the local Hui and Han people create prosperity together, promotes ethnic integration and deepens ethnic friendship, and has high historical, cultural, artistic and social value. The Linqing jia drum developed out of the jiegu, the double-headed barrel drum. According to the Ming-dynasty Linqing county gazetteer, “the jiegu began in the Tang”. The Jiegu Lu (Record of the Jiegu) by Nanzhuo of the Tang dynasty gives a detailed account of the form and playing characteristics of the jiegu, saying that the jiegu “is beaten with two sticks, its sound harsh, killing and resonant, and is especially suited to quick pieces in rapid, broken rhythm, producing the sound of sticks shattering in battle; it is also suited to the evening scene of a high tower, the bright moon and a gentle breeze, breaking through the air and carrying far, and is quite distinct from all other music”.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Hong Yuqing is anchored in the documented technical standards of Gong and Drum Art in Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong. Within the documented technical tradition of Gong and Drum Art in Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong: The Linqing jia drum is a form of folk gong and drum art passed down through generations in Linqing city, Liaocheng, Shandong Province. Linqing city is conveniently situated, and northern and southern cultures meet here. Because it has a typical continental monsoon climate the locality is rather dry, and drumheads made of western Shandong cowhide are tough and elastic and sound out loud and resonant when struck. All this provided favourable conditions for the rapid development of jia drum culture in Linqing. The instruments of the Linqing jia drum are the drum, the dian gong and the shai gong, and it is a purely percussion ensemble art form. Its drum patterns are rich and varied, its sound loud and martial, its manner vast and magnificent; it is widely used in festival celebrations, shehuo performances and large competitions, and is a form of art that the local Hui people are glad to hear and see. The Linqing jia drum band numbers as few as eleven players, generally eight drums, two dian gongs and one shai gong, and as many as thirty-four, with twenty-four drums, eight dian gongs and two shai gongs. Its performing forms include the street procession and the circle; the drum patterns begin with Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions), include the long drum, the small line of drums and the old line of drums, and then have the dian drum patterns called “street points”, ending finally with the rolling drum. The performers generally tie the drum to the waist, stand with the legs apart about as wide as the shoulders, and hold the head high and the chest out, displaying a masculine air; the gong, as a directing instrument, serves to steady the drum patterns. It has playing techniques such as striking the drum rim, striking the drum shell and clashing the drumsticks together; its rhythm is rich and varied and it has extremely strong artistry and expressive power. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Dian Gu (Pointed Drum)": At present the repertory of the Linqing jia drum consists chiefly of six pieces, Dian Gu (Pointed Drum), Lao Pai Gu (Old Line of Drums), Xiao Pai Gu (Small Line of Drums), Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions), Chang Gu (Long Drum) and Gun Gu (Rolling Drum), all of which are included in the Anthology of Chinese Folk Instrumental Music, Shandong volume. "Lao Pai Gu (Old Line of Drums)": At present the repertory of the Linqing jia drum consists chiefly of six pieces, Dian Gu (Pointed Drum), Lao Pai Gu (Old Line of Drums), Xiao Pai Gu (Small Line of Drums), Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions), Chang Gu (Long Drum) and Gun Gu (Rolling Drum), all of which are included in the Anthology of Chinese Folk Instrumental Music, Shandong volume. "Xiao Pai Gu (Small Line of Drums)": At present the repertory of the Linqing jia drum consists chiefly of six pieces, Dian Gu (Pointed Drum), Lao Pai Gu (Old Line of Drums), Xiao Pai Gu (Small Line of Drums), Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions), Chang Gu (Long Drum) and Gun Gu (Rolling Drum), all of which are included in the Anthology of Chinese Folk Instrumental Music, Shandong volume. "Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions)": At present the repertory of the Linqing jia drum consists chiefly of six pieces, Dian Gu (Pointed Drum), Lao Pai Gu (Old Line of Drums), Xiao Pai Gu (Small Line of Drums), Er Shi Ba Xiu (Twenty-Eight Mansions), Chang Gu (Long Drum) and Gun Gu (Rolling Drum), all of which are included in the Anthology of Chinese Folk Instrumental Music, Shandong volume.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Hong Yuqing was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Gong and Drum Art, with Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Gong and Drum Art in Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong as its declared area, and Linqing City 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. Hongyuqing (Liaochengshilinqing, Shandong) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Hongyuqing · China ICH Official Archive