Wu Li
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Wu Li, Female, Han, from Bozhou, Anhui, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Erjiaxian (Ⅳ-113). The tradition is documented in Bozhou, Anhui. Within the regional tradition and school record of Erjiaxian in Bozhou, Anhui: Anhui erjiaxian centres on Bozhou and has rich ban styles and fine music full of local character, excelling in the “three-small plays” reflecting folk life. Drawing on the Anhui volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu and local Bozhou materials, erjiaxian was first a cotton-spinning ditty and, through the artists' development and creation, gradually formed on the basis of such genres as “huagu dingxiang”, “da wuyin” and “sigen xian”; it is named because the four strings of its chief accompanying instrument, the sihu, separately clamp the two strands of horsehair on the bow, with a history of more than three hundred years.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Wu Li is anchored in the documented technical standards of Erjiaxian in Bozhou, Anhui. Within the documented technical tradition of Erjiaxian in Bozhou, Anhui: Erjiaxian, also called “liangjiaxian”, is a local operatic genre of long history widely found in the four provinces of Jiangsu, Shandong, Henan and Anhui. Its singing music belongs to the “xuansuo vocal” system combining the banqiang and qupai forms, its chief feature being the alternation of true and falsetto voice in singing. Its qupai are mostly drawn from folk music, many still retaining a fairly primitive state. It is deeply loved by audiences, so that in its areas there is even the saying “though you eat nothing, wear nothing and give up the New Year, you must still go to hear erjiaxian.” Its ban styles are rich and its musical style fine, full of local character, and it excels in the “three-small plays” reflecting folk life, its subjects mostly realistic. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Xie Yaohuan": A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards within and beyond the province. "The Princess of West Lake": A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards. "The Brilliant Scholar": A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards.
Xie Yaohuan
A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards within and beyond the province.
The Princess of West Lake
A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards.
The Brilliant Scholar
A large traditional stage play of Bozhou erjiaxian, led by the inheritor and repeatedly winning awards.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Wu Li was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Erjiaxian, with Bozhou, Anhui as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Erjiaxian in Bozhou, Anhui: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Bozhou, Anhui as its declared area, and Bozhou Yanyi Co., Ltd. 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
Historical origin
Drawing on the Anhui volume of the Annals of Chinese Xiqu and local Bozhou materials, erjiaxian was first a cotton-spinning ditty and, through the artists' development and creation, gradually formed on the basis of such genres as “huagu dingxiang”, “da wuyin” and “sigen xian”; it is named because the four strings of its chief accompanying instrument, the sihu, separately clamp the two strands of horsehair on the bow, with a history of more than three hundred years.
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.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tian Aiyun | Kaifeng, Henan | 03-1124 | Other regional school |
| Li Jinghua | Dingtao, Shandong | 03-1125 | Other regional school |
| Song Ruitao | Dingtao, Shandong | 03-1126 | Other regional school |
| Fuhongwei | Bozhou, Anhui | 05-2448 | Same declared area |
| Wu Li | Bozhou, Anhui | — | This page |
| Zushuxian | Hua, Henan | — | Other regional school |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。