Shenhaihua
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Shenhaihua, Female, Han, from Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Tunliu Daoqing (Ⅴ-129). The tradition is documented in Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Tunliu Daoqing in Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi: Tunliu Daoqing, also called “dao qiang” or “yugu” (fishing drum), is a form of quyi current mainly in the Tunliu and Zhangzi area and in the Lucheng, Changzhi and Huguan area of southeastern Shanxi. According to reckoning, in the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty Tunliu Daoqing was already flourishing in the Tunliu and Zhangzi area, so it has a history of at least 140 years.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Shenhaihua is anchored in the documented technical standards of Tunliu Daoqing in Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Tunliu Daoqing in Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi: Because its early singing used a great many Daoist musical elements, and the vocal style of the singing gave much the same aural impression as the chanting of scriptures and the preaching of the Dao in a temple, it was at first called “dao qiang” and was later called “Daoqing”. The performing form of Tunliu Daoqing alternates speech and song, song predominating, and uses the local Tunliu accent. It is mostly performed by a single person. The performer holds a yugu (fishing drum) in his arms and clappers in his hand, and speaks and sings whether seated or standing. Later a single cymbal replaced the fishing drum: the left hand holds the clappers and a small cymbal (also called the “suo cha”) is hooked on the little finger, while the right hand holds chopsticks to strike the small cymbal; together with the clappers this produces a “pa tang pa tang” rhythmic sound, which serves as the opening and the interlude. The clappers, on the other hand, run right through the speaking and singing from beginning to end. The early vocal style of Tunliu Daoqing took the form of counting recitative, in which the first half of the line is recited and only at the close is a simple drawn-out cadence hummed out; later it took in local folk songs and tunes, and gradually formed a comparatively stable vocal style. This vocal style belongs to the repeated use of a single tune and has three different structural forms, which some people call “ban styles”, namely the “single ban”, the “double ban” and the “inserted ban”. The basic format of the lyrics is a seven-syllable upper-and-lower-line body, with the lower line rhyming. The performed repertory includes long, medium and short pieces alike. Tunliu Daoqing has a long history, and its performing form, vocal music, accompanying instruments and even its traditional items all have extremely marked local characteristics. Its mode of accompaniment and its ban-style vocal music provide a new perspective for studying the formation and development of folk narrative singing music in Shanxi; its Daoist musical elements provide important reference for studying Daoist thought and culture and the way of life of the people of Shanxi in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Single, double and inserted metres": Its repeated-tune singing has three structural metres, over seven-character couplets rhymed on the second line. "Cymbals and chopsticks": The bamboo drum gave way to a single cymbal hung from the little finger and struck with chopsticks, the clappers running throughout. "Drum, clappers and Daoist music": Its tune resembled temple preaching, hence the name Daoist tone, with the singer cradling a bamboo drum and holding clappers. "Guangxu-era Tunliu and Changzi": By the Guangxu reign it flourished around Tunliu and Changzi, its early counting-board delivery later absorbing local folk tunes.
Single, double and inserted metres
Its repeated-tune singing has three structural metres, over seven-character couplets rhymed on the second line.
Cymbals and chopsticks
The bamboo drum gave way to a single cymbal hung from the little finger and struck with chopsticks, the clappers running throughout.
Drum, clappers and Daoist music
Its tune resembled temple preaching, hence the name Daoist tone, with the singer cradling a bamboo drum and holding clappers.
Guangxu-era Tunliu and Changzi
By the Guangxu reign it flourished around Tunliu and Changzi, its early counting-board delivery later absorbing local folk tunes.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Shenhaihua was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Tunliu Daoqing, with Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Tunliu Daoqing in Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi as its declared area, and Zhangzhi Tunliu District 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
Historical origin
According to reckoning, in the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty Tunliu Daoqing was already flourishing in the Tunliu and Zhangzi area, so it has a history of at least 140 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenhaihua | Zhangzhishitunliu, Shanxi | — | This page |
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。