Doukongzhu
01 · Historical Records
The kongzhu (lit. 'empty bamboo') is made of bamboo and wood and is hollow in the middle, hence its name; in the Qing Dynasty it was sometimes used interchangeably with the kongzhong, it is commonly called the xiang hulu ('sounding gourd'), and in the Jiangnan region it is also called the cheling ('pulled bell'); those produced in Beijing and Tianjin are the most famous. The kongzhu has a long history in China: the Ming Dynasty work Dijing Jingwu Lue (Scenic Impressions of the Imperial Capital) already describes both how it is played and how it is made, and artifacts excavated from the Ming Dingling tomb provide further proof, showing that kongzhu spinning has been popular among the people for at least 600 years.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The kongzhu is disc-shaped, with a wooden axle in the middle; cords tied to bamboo sticks are wrapped around the axle and pulled and shaken to make it spin. When the kongzhu is pulled and spun, all of its whistles sound together, loud and sonorous, their sound rising into the clouds. Beijing has a dedicated folk organization — the Kongzhu Professional Committee of the Beijing Toys Association — which now has nearly one hundred members, including both adept kongzhu spinners and master kongzhu makers. The techniques of kongzhu spinning have been innovated while carrying on the tradition, with moves such as 'Golden Rooster Mounting the Rack' (Jinji Shangjia), 'Crossing Mountains and Ridges' (Fanshan Yueling), 'The Weaving Maiden Spinning Thread' (Zhinu Fangxian), 'Watching the Milky Way by Night' (Ye Guan Yinhe), 'Erlang Carrying the Mountain' (Erlang Danshan), 'Raising the Head to Gaze at the Moon' (Taitou Wangyue), 'Carp Wagging Its Tail' (Liyu Baiwei), 'The Boy Bowing to the Moon' (Tongzi Baiyue), 'The Sparrow Hawk Turning Over' (Yaozi Fanshen), 'Colored Clouds Chasing the Moon' (Caiyun Zhuiyue), 'Fishing the Moon from the Sea Bottom' (Haidiao Laoyue) and 'Rising Straight into the Blue Sky' (Qingyun Zhishang), enough to leave the eye dazzled. Among them, 'Ants Climbing the Tree' (Mashang Shangshu) involves tying one end of a long rope to a treetop and holding the other end in the hand; one person spins a kongzhu and swiftly throws the whirling diabolo onto the long rope, the rope holder pulls hard on the rope, launching the kongzhu fifty or sixty meters into the air; when it falls, the spinner catches it steadily, to the amazement of onlookers. Kongzhu spinning is a sport accomplished through the skillful coordination of the four limbs. When the hands grip the sticks to spin the kongzhu through various moves, the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints of the upper limbs, the hip, knee and ankle joints of the lower limbs, together with the cervical and lumbar spine, are all exercised to varying degrees; kongzhu spinning therefore contributes to people's physical health.
Ants climbing the tree
One end of a long rope is tied to a treetop and the other held in hand; a spinning diabolo is flung onto the rope and whipped fifty or sixty metres into the air, then caught again.
Silk coiling and fishing over the back
Li Lianyuan works silk-coiled diabolos on a two-metre fishing rod, standing them up like threads or mushrooms and adding such feats as fishing over the back and the eagle spreading its wings.
Single and double wheels, and the whistle holes
Diabolos are single- or double-wheeled; the discs are pierced with a large bass hole and smaller treble holes, giving two, four, six or up to thirty-six notes.
The Zhang workshop's sizes
Known as “Diabolo Zhang”, Zhang Guoliang learned making from his father at ten; ordinary diabolos weigh 200-300 grams and measure about 15 centimetres across, the largest 125 centimetres and over 30 kilograms, the smallest just one centimetre.
The Ming text and the Dingling finds
The Ming gazetteer Di Jing Jing Wu Lue already records diabolo play and making, and finds from the Dingling tomb confirm over six centuries of popularity; the Qing called it the sounding gourd and Jiangnan the pull bell.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Kongzhu fall into two types: single-wheel (a disc on one end of the wooden axle) and double-wheel (a disc on each end of the wooden axle). Around the rim of the discs are whistle holes — one large hole serving as the low-pitch opening and a number of small holes as high-pitch openings — giving two, four and six, up to thirty-six whistling sounds.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Beijing kongzhu spinning has a long history, a stable popular base, and mature, complete techniques, making it one of the most representative regions for the development and transmission of this folk sport. With the rapid development of cities and changes in people's lifestyles, the kongzhu — as a witness to historical development and a means of transmitting folk culture — faces a shrinking cultural space for its survival, so the relevant authorities need to adopt various effective measures to protect it. Zhang Guoliang (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): male, Han ethnicity, born in 1956, a native of Beijing. A representative inheritor of the first national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item 'Kongzhu Spinning' (dou kongzhu), and a kongzhu maker. Zhang Guoliang comes from a kongzhu-making family; from the age of ten he learned kongzhu making from his father, and he is one of the few remaining kongzhu makers in China, enjoying the reputation of 'Kongzhu Zhang'. Kongzhu are divided into double-wheel, single-axle and double-axle types, among others; an ordinary kongzhu weighs about 200–300 grams and is about 15 cm in diameter. The largest kongzhu at present measures 125 cm in diameter and weighs more than 30 kilograms, while the smallest is only 1 cm in diameter. Building on the tradition of kongzhu making, Zhang Guoliang has improved the range of craft products, giving the kongzhu practical, fitness, recreational and collectible value. To pass on the kongzhu-making craft, Zhang Guoliang founded his own studio and frequently visits schools to teach students the skill, so as to win the growing attention of young people. Zhang Guoliang's representative works include the 'Chinese Chess Kongzhu', the 'Fuwa Kongzhu' and the 'Dragon-and-Phoenix Kongzhu'. Li Lianyuan (recorded in the official archive of associated inheritors): male, Han ethnicity, born in 1947, a native of Beijing. Several generations of Li Lianyuan's forebears lived in Tianqiao and Caishikou. Influenced by his family, Li Lianyuan spun kongzhu with his grandmother from the age of five. In adulthood, Li Lianyuan mastered a remarkable feat: spinning a pansi (thread-wound) kongzhu with a fishing rod more than two meters long. What previous generations passed down in kongzhu spinning was single-wheel and special-shape kongzhu performance; with Li Lianyuan, the kongzhu could be spun upright, making it trail like silk or stand like a mushroom, and then moved in forward-wrap (zhengpan) and reverse-wrap (fanpan) motions; this winding action is called 'thread wrapping' (pansi), which allows difficult moves such as 'Fishing on the Back' (Beifei Diaoyu), 'Eagle Spreading Its Wings' (Xiongying Zhanyi) and 'Mounting the Bowl' (Shangwan). Today this unique skill has been included in 'Beijing's Unique Skills' (Beijing Juehuo). As an inheritor of a kongzhu family, Li Lianyuan reached an agreement with the No. 3 Primary School of Laoqianggen to include kongzhu spinning formally in the school curriculum; he was engaged as an instructor to teach the art of kongzhu spinning. At present, Li Lianyuan has taken on 16 apprentices. A representative inheritor of the first national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage item 'Kongzhu Spinning', and president of the Guangnei Kongzhu Association of Xuanwu District. In addition, Li Lianyuan has taken part in many cultural exchange performances at home and abroad, established 36 activity stations, and fostered a growing number of kongzhu enthusiasts.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhang Guoliang 01-0035
- Li Lianyuan 01-0036
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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