Lijiancan
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Lijiancan, Male, Tibetan, from Ledu, Qinghai, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Traditional Archery (Ⅵ-42). The tradition is documented in Haidongshiledu, Qinghai. Within the regional tradition and school record of Traditional Archery in Haidongshiledu, Qinghai: Nanshan archery has a distinctive competitive format and rich content; it is deeply loved by the local Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu (Monguor), and other ethnic groups and is a principal form of mass fitness activity in the area. Nanshan archery is at the same time a "hua'er" song festival and a goods exchange fair: on every competition day, merchants gather from all sides, and the watching crowd "man" (sings) hua'er folk songs and "layi" (local Tibetan love songs), filling the whole arena with a fervent atmosphere. Every spectator participates in some way, making Nanshan archery a carnival for the local people. Nanshan archery is a traditional sport popular in Ledu County, Qinghai Province. It was introduced to the area during the Ming dynasty, took shape by the Qing dynasty, and has flourished for several centuries without decline.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Lijiancan is anchored in the documented technical standards of Traditional Archery in Haidongshiledu, Qinghai. Within the documented technical tradition of Traditional Archery in Haidongshiledu, Qinghai: Every summer, the townships of the Nanshan area of Ledu hold archery competitions, conducted in various forms including inter-village matches, challenge bouts, invitation tournaments, centralized meets, and decentralized meets, drawing large numbers of participants. Nanshan archery has rich cultural connotations: it is both a witness to the integration and development of the various ethnic groups in the Hehuang region throughout history and an important carrier of bow-and-arrow culture and the history of Qinghai's ethnic minorities. This form of activity has played a positive role in strengthening exchange and unity among the various ethnic groups. With the deepening advance of modern lifestyles, the scale of Nanshan archery can no longer compare with the past; planning for its future is urgently needed while there is still time. Archers use wooden bows locally called "duo er" fitted with iron-tipped arrows; the bows are made of white poplar or willow wood, with strings of sheep gut or silk thread. The shooting distance is mostly fifty to seventy paces, with standing targets set up on grassland or plateau, the bull's-eye marked with grass rope or wool; after the arrow hits the target, scores are counted by rings. The competition includes no running shots; victory is decided by standing shots. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Village matches, ladders and invitations": Every summer the mountain townships hold contests in many formats, from village matches to open ladders and invitation meets. "Archery beside the flower-song fair": The meet doubles as a flower-song and trade fair, with pedlars and crowds singing throughout, a carnival for the whole district. "Han, Tibetan, Hui and Tu archers": Loved by Han, Tibetan, Hui and Tu alike, the meet is the district's main form of mass sport and a promoter of inter-ethnic ties. "Ming arrival, Qing formation": Brought to Ledu in the Ming and fully formed in the Qing, the practice has continued for several centuries.
Village matches, ladders and invitations
Every summer the mountain townships hold contests in many formats, from village matches to open ladders and invitation meets.
Archery beside the flower-song fair
The meet doubles as a flower-song and trade fair, with pedlars and crowds singing throughout, a carnival for the whole district.
Han, Tibetan, Hui and Tu archers
Loved by Han, Tibetan, Hui and Tu alike, the meet is the district's main form of mass sport and a promoter of inter-ethnic ties.
Ming arrival, Qing formation
Brought to Ledu in the Ming and fully formed in the Qing, the practice has continued for several centuries.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Lijiancan was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Traditional Archery, with Haidongshiledu, Qinghai as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Traditional Archery in Haidongshiledu, Qinghai: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Haidongshiledu, Qinghai as its declared area, and Haidong Ledu Qu 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
Nanshan archery is a traditional sport popular in Ledu County, Qinghai Province. It was introduced to the area during the Ming dynasty, took shape by the Qing dynasty, and has flourished for several centuries without decline.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baorenqianben | Ledu, Qinghai | 05-2552 | Same declared area |
| Lijiancan | Ledu, Qinghai | — | 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。