Wangzhaxi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Wangzhaxi, Male, Tibetan, from Batang, Sichuan, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Xianzi Dance (Ⅲ-19). The tradition is documented in Batang, Sichuan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Xianzi Dance in Batang, Sichuan: The Xianzi Dance is distributed in eastern Tibet and in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai and other places. 'Three steps and one lift, one step and one lean' is the basic rhythmic characteristic of the Batang xianzi dance; its contracted chest, trembling knees and the circling, supporting, lifting and covering of the long sleeves form a regional dance character quite unlike any other. The Batang xianzi takes the county town as its centre and spreads to the villages and schools of the townships throughout the county. At festivals and gatherings people often form circles to dance in a 'linka' (a clearing in the woods) or on the open ground; one group finishes singing and another takes up the song, often continuing through the night until dawn. The huqin 'biwang' held by the lead dancer is mostly made locally; its tone is clear and far-reaching, answering the high-register singing of the singers. In May 2000, the Ministry of Culture officially named Batang County a 'Hometown of Chinese Folk Art'.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Wangzhaxi is anchored in the documented technical standards of Xianzi Dance in Batang, Sichuan. Within the documented technical tradition of Xianzi Dance in Batang, Sichuan: The xianzi, also called 'xie', 'ye' or 'baye', is a kind of bowed string instrument peculiar to the Tibetan people, generally played by men. The Xianzi Dance, also commonly called 'xianzi', is a comprehensive Tibetan song-and-dance art that combines singing, dancing and music to the accompaniment of the xianzi. In performance, men play the xianzi and women dance with colourful sleeves; as the rhythm of the xianzi changes, both the singing and the dancing take many different forms. The lyrics of the xianzi are mostly about welcoming guests, meeting, praise, affection, farewell and good wishes; there are many tunes, rich lyrics and varied dance steps. While dancing, the men's and women's groups each form a semicircle, at times closing into a circle and at times dispersing, singing as they dance; the men's dancing emphasises the boots and the stamping, showing a bold and rugged beauty, while the women bring out the gentle and expansive beauty of the long sleeves. In Tibetan, 'xianzi' is called 'gaxie', also known as 'xie', 'ye', 'baye' and the like, meaning round dance; it is one of the three great genres of Tibetan dance. It is popular in eastern Tibet and in the Tibetan-inhabited areas of Yunnan, Sichuan and Qinghai, and the xianzi dance of Batang in Sichuan is the most famous. Batang County lies at the junction of the three provinces (regions) of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. This area belonged in antiquity to the Bailang Kingdom, whose 'Bailang songs' were ceremonial song-dances combining poetry, music and dance; the Batang xianzi is a legacy of that tradition. After more than a thousand years of development it has become a folk song-and-dance form greatly loved by the Tibetan people. The Batang xianzi is a beautiful and lyrical Tibetan dance characterised by 'long sleeves that dance gracefully'; in performance, several men holding and playing the bowed string instrument 'biwang' (a huqin) lead the dance at the head of the procession. The remaining dancers sing and dance along with them. On every festival and happy occasion, after gatherings, outings in the open country and work in the fields, people assemble in a 'linka' (a clearing in the woods) or on the open ground to dance the xianzi; men and women alike take part, with no limit on numbers. Xianzi music is generally divided into prelude, interlude and coda; the music is gentle yet strong, beautiful and lyrical, and the rhythm is rich in dance character. The Batang xianzi is the crystallization of the wisdom of the people of Batang. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Biwang, the Tibetan fiddle": The Tibetan fiddle of the dance, played by men who lead the line while playing, the others answering in song and step. "Three steps one lift, one step one lean": The basic rhythm of three steps with a lift and one with a lean, combined with sunken chest, trembling knees and sleeve work. "The legacy of the White Wolf songs": The region once belonged to the kingdom of White Wolf, whose ceremonial songs uniting poetry, music and dance are seen as the ancestor of the Batan dance. "Prelude, interlude and coda": The music falls into prelude, interlude and coda, lyrical yet firm in rhythm, setting lyrics of welcome, meeting, praise and farewell.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Wangzhaxi was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Xianzi Dance, with Batang, Sichuan as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Xianzi Dance in Batang, Sichuan: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Batang, Sichuan as its declared area, and Batang 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. Wangzhaxi (Batang, Sichuan) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Wangzhaxi · China ICH Official Archive