Chen Wenshi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Chen Wenshi, Male, Han, from Putian, Fujian, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Lantern Dance (Ⅲ-45). The tradition is documented in Putian, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Lantern Dance in Putian, Fujian: The Jiuli lantern dance has Goumian Village as its place of transmission; the making of the fish lanterns and the dance methods are handed down mostly within the clan. Lantern dance has existed since ancient times; even in the Qing dynasty there are records of "lantern dance" in which characters were danced out with lanterns as props. The Jiuli lantern dance passed down in Goumian Village, Huangshi Town, Licheng District, Putian City, Fujian Province, is an outstanding flower within the garden of Fujian folk dance. It originated in the lantern dance performances of myriad forms on the Lantern Festival and, handed down from generation to generation by folk artists, gradually formed a complete system of dance performance, reaching its height in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Chen Wenshi is anchored in the documented technical standards of Lantern Dance in Putian, Fujian. Within the documented technical tradition of Lantern Dance in Putian, Fujian: On every festival (especially the Lantern Festival) and during rites such as prayers for rain, sacrifices, and supplications for a good harvest, both court and common people would hold lantern dance performances. In its earliest form, lantern dance was characterized by arranging lanterns into characters; it later gradually developed into a form of folk dance in which colored lanterns are arranged to construct patterns and create artistic settings, and it spread throughout the country. Classified by the shape of the lantern display, lantern dance falls mainly into three types: those imitating animals — dragon lantern dance, lion lantern dance, fish lantern dance, clam lantern dance, butterfly lantern dance and hundred-bird lantern dance; those imitating flowers — lotus lantern dance, chrysanthemum lantern dance and waxflower lantern dance; and other forms such as boat lantern dance, cart lantern dance, cloud lantern dance and embroidered-ball lantern dance. Lantern dance performances are richly varied; they are generally presented at night as group dances on a grand scale. The performers dance as they walk, the formations change constantly, and firecrackers and fireworks are let off during the dance, making the scene a magnificent spectacle. This form of folk dance appears mostly in Han areas, while also being popular in some ethnic minority areas. The fish lanterns used in the Jiuli lantern dance are meticulously made: first bamboo strips are used as a frame and tied into the shape of a carp, and then red paper is pasted over the outside and painted with scales and fins. A finished red carp lantern is generally 1.5 metres long and 40 centimetres wide. In performance a fish lantern troupe consists of a dozen-odd fish lanterns, the leading fish lantern being slightly larger. The Jiuli lantern dance has a complete set of prescribed movements, and the performance is accompanied from the side by gong, drum, cymbals and gongs. When the fish lanterns move, one sees big red carp weaving up and down through the night, swimming leisurely and frolicking, and the joy of it deeply moves those who watch. Most of the performers of the Jiuli lantern dance are young and middle-aged adults from the countryside; those who are older generally take responsibility for playing the gong and drum in accompaniment. If during a performance the dragon dance troupe of a neighbouring village is encountered, there is another set of dance moves in which fish and dragon sport with each other, used to express the mutual goodwill of the two sides. The Jiuli lantern dance touches on many fields of research such as folklore, archaeology, martial arts and art, and is characterized by mass participation, entertainment and aesthetic appeal. Its rare nine-carp props and its rich folk dance vocabulary and performance formats have received high praise from the experts and scholars concerned. As the commercialization of culture has intensified, the traditional Putian Jiuli lantern dance has declined rapidly; performers and prop makers are steadily dwindling, its prospects are not optimistic, and it urgently needs rescue and support. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Making the fish lantern": The fish lanterns are built on bamboo splint frames in carp shape, then covered in red paper and painted with scales and fins. "The metre-and-a-half carp lantern": Each red carp lantern measures about 1.5 metres by 40 centimetres, and a team fields a dozen or more of them with a slightly larger leading fish. "The fish-and-dragon encounter": When the team meets a neighbouring dragon troupe a special fish-and-dragon routine is danced as a gesture of friendship, to the accompaniment of gong, drum, cymbals and small gongs. "Family transmission of the props and mnemonics": The dance survives only in the clan village north of Goubian, where the prop-making craft and the dance mnemonics pass within the family.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Chen Wenshi was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Lantern Dance, with Putian, Fujian as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Lantern Dance in Putian, Fujian: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Putian, Fujian as its declared area, and Putian Lichengquhuangshizhenhepingcun Village Committee 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. Chenwenshi (Putian, Fujian) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Chenwenshi · China ICH Official Archive