Ethnic Instrument Making Craftsmanship

Ⅷ-124Traditional CraftsmanshipXicheng, BeijingBatch 5 (2021)Extension Item

01 · Historical Records

Around the fiftieth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty (circa 1785 CE), the jinghu developed alongside the formation of the "pihuang" vocal system—one of the four great melodic systems of ancient Chinese opera—and has a history of over 200 years, giving rise to numerous schools of craftsmanship over the course of its development.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The craft of jinghu making is the traditional art by which jinghu makers, according to the requirements of performance and the vocalist's manner of singing, select different materials and methods of construction to produce jinghu of varying ranges and tonal qualities. Beijing possesses a profound historical and cultural heritage, is home to many jingju (Peking opera) troupes, and is a place where celebrated masters of jingju congregate. The Xicheng District of Beijing is one of the city's core urban areas; in former times many renowned jingju performers resided in what is now the southern part of Xicheng District, providing fertile ground for the craft of jinghu making. The jinghu-making craft of Beijing has a long history, mature techniques, and two especially influential schools—the Shi (Shanpeng) school and the Hong (Guangyuan) school—each with its own process and technical methods. The craft of jinghu making comprises two parts: material selection and construction. In material selection, according to the player's requirements, purple bamboo, luohan bamboo, mottled bamboo, white bamboo, or mao bamboo is chosen for the neck and resonator; wild zaocys snake skin is stretched over the resonator; ebony, poplar, jujube, or rosewood is used for the tuning pegs; and river reed is selected for the bow with horsehair for the bowstring. In construction, traditional process steps are used to cut the materials precisely, fire-harden the neck, drill and burn the peg holes, fire and expand the resonator into roundness, mount the skin and shape the bridge, make the pegs and bow, and apply lacquer. Both the Shi and Hong schools produce jinghu entirely by hand, emphasizing bespoke craftsmanship tailored to the vocalist's range, timbre, distinctions of pihuang, school style, and the hand strength and finger positions of the player. The Shi school has distinctive methods for the firing and round-expanding of the neck and resonator; the Hong school emphasizes primarily air-drying with firing as a supplement, and shapes the neck into a gently backward-curving arc. The Shi school shapes the tuning pegs into an eight-petaled yuzan (jade hairpin) flower form—elegant in appearance and easy on the hand, allowing firm force when tightening the strings. The Hong school uses a "mantou ding" (steamed-bun top) peg form, whose advantage is a full, comfortable grip that aids string-tightening and prevents the hand from slipping, especially when tuning to a high pitch. The craft of jinghu making is an instrument-making art that developed alongside the flourishing of jingju. The development of jinghu-making craft and that of jingju have been inseparable companions, giving it a certain historical and cultural value. The jinghu is made entirely by hand, using firm, finely grained and attractive bamboo such as zipao, hupi, and zhimahua for the neck, together with a neck-lacquering process, so that its tone is at once bright and high, broad and full, yet round, loose, and sweet—possessing not only practical value but also a high degree of craftsmanship value.

Archived Process Record

In construction, traditional process steps are used to cut the materials precisely, fire-harden the neck, drill and burn the peg holes, fire and expand the resonator into roundness, mount the skin and shape the bridge, make the pegs and bow, and apply lacquer.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The jinghu arose around the fiftieth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty as the pihuang vocal system took shape. In the city of Beijing, the Shi (Shanpeng) school and the Hong (Guangyuan) school each held their own ground; in former times celebrated performers largely lived in what is now the southern Xicheng District, and workshops were set up along the streets. Materials fall into two sides: purple bamboo, luohan bamboo, and mottled bamboo for the neck and resonator, with wild zaocys snake skin stretched over the resonator, and ebony, poplar, jujube, or rosewood for the pegs. The divergence between the two schools lies chiefly in firing control and peg form: the Shi school has its own secret methods of firing and round-expanding, shaping the peg into an eight-petaled yuzan flower form; the Hong school relies mainly on air-drying, shapes the neck into a gently backward-curving arc, and adopts the "mantou ding" (steamed-bun top) peg style.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present, the jinghu-making craft is transmitted chiefly through three modes: family inheritance, master–apprentice transmission, and social (public) transmission.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

Ethnic Instrument Making Craftsmanship (Xicheng, Beijing) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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