Liu Xiumei

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Liu Xiumei, Female, Hui, from Tianjin, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Danxian Paizi Melody (Ⅴ-49). The tradition is documented in Tianjin. Within the regional tradition and school record of Danxian Paizi Melody in Tianjin: It is now current north and south of the Yangtze, and especially flourishing in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and other regions, while also being found in the northeast, the northwest, central south and the Jiangsu-Zhejiang area. Danxian paiziqu has a strong local character; everything it touches is closely bound up with the folk ways and customs of the time, so it is a typical representative of the development of Tianjin's folk culture and holds important artistic value. It originated in Beijing, growing out of the single-movement-form chaqu that was popular during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and, through nearly a century of singing practice, developing gradually by the late Qing dynasty; it takes three forms of tune-body structure: zaoher, yaojie and paiziqu.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Liu Xiumei is anchored in the documented technical standards of Danxian Paizi Melody in Tianjin. Within the documented technical tradition of Danxian Paizi Melody in Tianjin: Danxian paiziqu is a form of narrative singing that combines speaking and singing. Tianjin danxian paiziqu uses the octagonal drum and the sanxian as its principal accompaniment instruments; as it developed, the yangqin was added to the ensemble, making the accompaniment fuller and richer in colour. Its repertoire draws on a wide range of subjects and keeps pace with the times: folk tales, historical anecdotes, myths and legends and stories of the present are all material for its singing. Representative works include Du Shiniang, Jinshan Temple, Jia Yu Tours in Spring, Qiu Shaoyun, The Ancient Pine Beneath the Earth, and chaqu such as Homeward by Boat in Wind and Rain, Xiaoxiang Studio, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde. In its development Tianjin danxian paiziqu formed three great singing schools represented by Rong Jianchen, Chang Shutian and Xie Ruizhi, which enjoyed great vogue for a time. Later the male-centred performing schools of Rong, Chang, Xie and the like gradually faded from the stage; today only the Shi school of danxian, centred on women performers, is still active on stage, and it is constantly being handed on and growing. The Shi school of danxian was founded by the famous master of the performing art of danxian, Shi Huiru, and it forms a system of its own through its rich store of qupai, its varied melodies, its abundant repertoire, its performance content marked by a strong character of the times and its distinctive singing style. The founding of the Shi school greatly enriched the schools and the qupai of the art of danxian and pushed the art forward. When the male danxian of Rong, Chang and Xie held the stage, the Shi school of danxian stood apart on its own and opened the precedent of women as the main performers; it is a “living fossil” for studying the development of danxian and of the art of folk qupai. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Du Shiniang": Its repertoire draws on a wide range of subjects and keeps pace with the times: folk tales, historical anecdotes, myths and legends and stories of the present are all material for its singing. Representative works include Du Shiniang, Jinshan Temple, Jia Yu Tours in Spring, Qiu Shaoyun, The Ancient Pine Beneath the Earth, and chaqu such as Homeward by Boat in Wind and Rain, Xiaoxiang Studio, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde. "Jinshan Temple": Its repertoire draws on a wide range of subjects and keeps pace with the times: folk tales, historical anecdotes, myths and legends and stories of the present are all material for its singing. Representative works include Du Shiniang, Jinshan Temple, Jia Yu Tours in Spring, Qiu Shaoyun, The Ancient Pine Beneath the Earth, and chaqu such as Homeward by Boat in Wind and Rain, Xiaoxiang Studio, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde. "Jia Yu Tours in Spring": Its repertoire draws on a wide range of subjects and keeps pace with the times: folk tales, historical anecdotes, myths and legends and stories of the present are all material for its singing. Representative works include Du Shiniang, Jinshan Temple, Jia Yu Tours in Spring, Qiu Shaoyun, The Ancient Pine Beneath the Earth, and chaqu such as Homeward by Boat in Wind and Rain, Xiaoxiang Studio, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde. "Qiu Shaoyun": Its repertoire draws on a wide range of subjects and keeps pace with the times: folk tales, historical anecdotes, myths and legends and stories of the present are all material for its singing. Representative works include Du Shiniang, Jinshan Temple, Jia Yu Tours in Spring, Qiu Shaoyun, The Ancient Pine Beneath the Earth, and chaqu such as Homeward by Boat in Wind and Rain, Xiaoxiang Studio, In Praise of Leifeng and Visiting Jingde.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Liu Xiumei was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Danxian Paizi Melody, with Tianjin as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Danxian Paizi Melody in Tianjin: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Tianjin as its declared area, and Tianjin Qu Yi Troupe 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. Liuxiumei (Tianjin) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Liuxiumei · China ICH Official Archive