Zhongfan
01 · Historical Records
It originated in the Tang and Song dynasties and has a history of more than one thousand years to the present day.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
A zhongfan consists of a banner pole, an umbrella, flags, banner cloth and bells, among other things. It comprises a dozen-odd routines and more than fifty movements, combining highly difficult techniques such as body shaping and pose display (liangxiang) into one, and offers a degree of entertainment. Antou Tun zhongfan originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties. At first it was a folk sideshow (zashua); it later gradually developed a variety of flourishes and techniques, and organised folk performing arts troupes appeared, known as 'zhongfan associations' (zhongfan hui). It circulates mainly in Antou Tun Town, Xianghe County, Hebei Province. Among them, the changing techniques of the front-hand banner (qianba fan) include more than thirty movements such as raising the banner to support the pagoda (qifan tuota), supporting the pagoda from the shoulder (zhaijian tuota), supporting it from the swaying ribs (huanglei tuota) and supporting it with the elbow turned (tuota panzhou); the changing techniques of the rear-hand banner (houba fan) include dozens of movements such as the sword-inlaid headpiece (jian naojian), the flower-inlaid headpiece (hua naojian) and the left sword-inlaid headpiece combined with the ear-filling, crotch-springing fangjian (guaner cuodang yajian). The large shoulder drum (da kuagu) performance comprises thirty drum tunes, each with its own drum score, divided into the categories of continuous beating (lianda) and detached beating (zaida). The flower cymbals (huabo) can be played together with the dangdang cymbals and the large drum, can be played alone, and can also be interleaved with the dangdang in answering duels. The flower cymbals also have such performance forms as single-person playing, two-person playing, four-person ensemble playing, six-person ensemble playing and eight-person ensemble playing.
Over thirty front-pole techniques
The front-pole group alone has over thirty movements, including raising the banner to the pagoda pose, slipping it off the shoulder and circling it about the elbow.
The rear-pole head pieces
The rear-pole group's dozens of movements catch the shaft on body, face and teeth, with the danger measured in millimetres.
Thirty drum tunes
The big waist drum comprises thirty tunes, each with its own score, divided into continuous and broken beating styles.
Cymbal playing styles
The flower cymbals may join the small gongs and drums, sound alone, or answer the small gongs, in solos, duets and ensembles of four, six or eight.
From street trick to banner guild
Beginning as a隋-Tang street amusement, the form grew into organised banner guilds with more than ten routines and fifty movements, using pole, parasol, flags, banner face and bells.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Zhongfan is an ancient Chinese folk art, distributed mainly in today's Xianghe County and Zhengding County of Hebei Province and in Jian'ou City, Fujian Province. With its solid basic skills, outstanding artistry, thrilling movements, exquisite acting and strong visual appeal, Antou Tun zhongfan stands out on its own among folk flower fairs (huahui). As a folk recreational item that the local people love to see and hear, it plays an important part in bringing people's hearts together, promoting harmony among neighbours and enlivening the cultural life of the masses. Antou Tun zhongfan circulates in Antou Tun Town of Xianghe County, Hebei Province, and in the surrounding areas of Qukou and Qianwang village. The local zhongfan association divides its performers by role into two groups, the front-hand banner and the rear-hand banner, and its ranks also include the large shoulder drum, the flower cymbals and the dangdang cymbals. Whenever the Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival or a temple fair calls for a procession, the banner association marches along the streets together with the flower-fair procession and halts whenever it meets an open space to rehearse routines such as pagoda supporting and headpiece work. In the neighbouring Zhengding area the same type of skill is called 'gaozhao', while in Jian'ou, Fujian, it is called 'tiaofan'; the banner construction, techniques and procession formats of the three places all differ, and Antou Tun forms a school of its own among folk flower fairs for its thrilling movements and numerous routines. The zhongfan uses a thick bamboo pole as its shaft, with an umbrella, flags, banner cloth and bells hung from the top; in rehearsal the banners and flags flutter and the bells ring, in time with the rhythm of drums and cymbals. The head of the association (huishou) is usually the most skilled performer, and apprentices begin by training the waist and legs and building strength to bear the weight.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Tianqiaozhongfan · Zhongfan · Zhongfan.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present, Antou Tun zhongfan has accumulated more than one hundred zhongfan technique movements.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Fu Wengang 01-0034
- Guo Jianbing 05-2533
- Zhu Shiliang 05-2534
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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