Qianggedazhan
01 · Historical Records
The Qiang are one of the oldest ethnic groups of China. The Qiang-Ge War is the heroic epic of the Qiang, recalling a war between a branch of the Qiang forebears migrating south from the north-western plateau and the Ga or Geji people originally dwelling in the upper Min river area, and their final settlement here; it is made up of the seven parts of the opening song, the origin of the sheepskin drum, the origin of the great snow mountain, the meeting of Qiang and Ge, seeking the sacred ox, the Qiang-Ge war and rebuilding the homeland.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Qiang are one of the oldest ethnic groups of China. The Qiang-Ge War is the heroic epic of the Qiang, reflecting war between primitive tribes. More than six hundred lines long, it is made up of the seven parts of the opening song, the origin of the sheepskin drum, the origin of the great snow mountain, the meeting of Qiang and Ge, seeking the sacred ox, the Qiang-Ge war and rebuilding the homeland. In narrating historical events and describing scenes of war the epic also records the Qiang's ideas of folk belief, such as how the ancient Qiang obtained the help of the heavenly god in war and how white stone served as a shelter for the ancient Qiang and a victorious weapon against the enemy. The Qiang-Ge War is one of the classics sung by the Qiang shibi when sacrificing to the mountains and redeeming a vow; the shibi is the master of Qiang sacrificial activities and the highest transmitter of Qiang culture. The Qiang-Ge War is usually sung in the ancient Qiang language, and the state and cultural departments at all levels have recorded, videoed and transcribed it. In narrating historical events and describing scenes of war it also records the Qiang's ideas of folk belief, such as white stone serving as a shelter and a victorious weapon.
The Opening Song
One of the seven parts of the Qiang-Ge War.
The Origin of the Sheepskin Drum
One of the seven parts of the Qiang-Ge War.
The Qiang-Ge War
One of the seven parts of the Qiang-Ge War, describing the scene of war between the Qiang and Ge.
Rebuilding the Homeland
One of the seven parts of the Qiang-Ge War, telling of the settlement of the Qiang forebears here.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
In narrating historical events and describing scenes of war the epic also records the Qiang's ideas of folk belief, such as white stone serving as a shelter for the ancient Qiang and a victorious weapon against the enemy.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Qiang-Ge War has beautiful diction and resonant rhyme and contains a great deal of information about remote antiquity's history, culture and folk custom, with relatively high literary value and multi-disciplinary research value. At present the old shibi still living and still able to transmit it are very few, the representative transmitters being only Wang Zhisheng and Yu Shirong. Because the poem is long and hard to remember its transmission faces great difficulty, so that it is in danger of declining and even vanishing. After the great Wenchuan earthquake of 12 May 2008 the Ministry of Culture conferred the title of Qiang Cultural Ecological Protection Experimental Area, established transmission and study centres and perfected the protection mechanism to ensure cultural transmission.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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