Kuochen

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Kuochen, Male, Han, from Changzhou, Jiangsu, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Buddhist Music (Ⅱ-138). The tradition is documented in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Within the regional tradition and school record of Buddhist Music in Changzhou, Jiangsu: The main part of the fanbei chanting of Changzhou Tianning Temple can be divided by genre into two great classes, “zan” and “jing”. “Zan” mainly includes 《Lu Xiang Zan》, 《Bao Ding Xiang Zan》 and the like; these belong to the poetic form, are rhymed at the ends of lines, are recited in a manner resembling singing, and are strongly melodic. “Jing” mainly includes 《Xin Jing》, 《Amituo Jing》 and the like; these belong to the prose form, are unrhymed, are read rhythmically to musical sounds, and are less melodic. Buddhism was introduced into China around the reign of Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han; Buddhist music from India and the Western Regions, over its long course of development, absorbed artistic elements of Chinese folk music and thereby took on a distinctive character, becoming an important component of Chinese Buddhist culture. It was first built during the Zhenguan and Yonghui reigns of the Tang dynasty, and has a history of more than 1,300 years. Since the Northern and Southern dynasties, the musical style of fanbei has formed two great schools, southern and northern. In the seventh year of the Yongming reign of the Southern Qi dynasty (490), the style of Tianning Temple fanbei, marked above all by its plaintive beauty, was formally established. Since the 1940s the fanbei chanting of Changzhou Tianning Temple has spread throughout China and abroad; the fanbei chanting of Buddhist monasteries in the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, in the countries of Southeast Asia and in the United States has all taken Tianning Temple fanbei as its model.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Kuochen is anchored in the documented technical standards of Buddhist Music in Changzhou, Jiangsu. Within the documented technical tradition of Buddhist Music in Changzhou, Jiangsu: Buddhist music is the music used by Buddhist monasteries in various Dharma-service activities and festival celebrations. It contains both Chinese national tunes and musical tunes of the minority peoples of India and the Western Regions. The musical zanbei directly applied by Buddhism is also called “fanbei”; it praises the Buddha and the bodhisattvas in short verse form, has singing modes such as solo, unison and chorus, and may be accompanied by instruments when sung. Tianning Temple in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, is a famous Chan Buddhist centre in China and ranks first among the “four great forests of Chan Buddhism”. Fanbei is a form of vocal chanting used in Buddhist activities to praise the Buddha and the bodhisattvas. Changzhou was the birthplace of the emperors of Qi and Liang and the place where southern fanbei originated. To this day the fanbei of Changzhou Tianning Temple still perfectly preserves the court music tradition and the Jiangnan musical style of the Qi-Liang era more than 1,500 years ago; its melodies follow relatively uniform norms, its rhythm is steady and solid, its vocal style is extended and free, and it presents an archaic, pure and elegant style. In addition, Tianning Temple fanbei also includes the “ji” (verse), the “zhou” (mantra), the “zhenyan” (true word) and the “li fo hao” (Buddha salutation), whose musical form lies between “zan” and “jing”. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Zan praises": The main part of the fanbei chanting of Tianning Temple can be divided by genre into two great classes, “zan” and “jing”; “zan” mainly includes 《Lu Xiang Zan》, 《Bao Ding Xiang Zan》 and the like, belongs to the poetic form, is rhymed at the ends of lines, is recited in a manner resembling singing, and is strongly melodic. "Jing sutras": “Jing” mainly includes 《Xin Jing》, 《Amituo Jing》 and the like; these belong to the prose form, are unrhymed, are read rhythmically to musical sounds, and are less melodic. "Verse, mantra and salutation forms": Tianning Temple fanbei also includes the “ji” (verse), the “zhou” (mantra), the “zhenyan” (true word) and the “li fo hao” (Buddha salutation), whose musical form lies between “zan” and “jing”. "Qi-Liang court-music tradition": Changzhou was the birthplace of the emperors of Qi and Liang and the place where southern fanbei originated; in the seventh year of the Yongming reign of the Southern Qi dynasty (490) the style of Tianning Temple fanbei, marked above all by its plaintive beauty, was formally established, and to this day it still perfectly preserves the court music tradition and the Jiangnan musical style of the Qi-Liang era more than 1,500 years ago, with uniformly standardised melodies, a steady and solid rhythm and an extended, free vocal style.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Kuochen was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Buddhist Music, with Changzhou, Jiangsu as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Buddhist Music in Changzhou, Jiangsu: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Changzhou, Jiangsu as its declared area, and Changzhou Tianningchansi 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. Kuochen (Changzhou, Jiangsu) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Kuochen · China ICH Official Archive