Qiangdiyanzouji Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
Historical records state that before the Western Han dynasty the qiang flute had four holes; in the 1st century CE the musician Jing Fang added a higher pitch hole, making five.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The qiang flute is a folk vertical wind instrument made of two bamboo tubes, each about 15 to 20 centimetres long with bores of the same size, bound together with silk thread and fitted at the top with bamboo reeds. It is used mainly for solo playing and has more than a dozen ancient tune patterns, the content of which is quite broad, mainly conveying the Qiang people's longing and yearning. The qiang flutes of the Chibusu and Shaba areas were brought by Qiang people who migrated south during the wars of the Qin and Han dynasties, from the western regions. In the Eastern Han, Ma Rong wrote in his "Rhapsody on the Long Flute": "In recent ages the double flute has risen among the Qiang." By modern times the qiang flute had come to have six holes. From this it can be inferred that the qiang flute has existed for at least two thousand years. The sound of the qiang flute often gives an impression of shadowiness and enchantment that moves the heart, and the Qiang people commonly use it to express their emotions of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, of parting and reunion. Frequently played pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody". In playing the qiang flute mainly the puffed-cheek method of breathing is used: a single breath can sustain several minutes of playing, and even for a simple tune the technical demands are high. In addition, qiang flute playing employs techniques such as throat vibrato and finger glissando up and down; together with the slight interval difference of the double-tube construction and the resonance of the two reeds, these give the instrument its distinctive timbre and melody. Qiang flutes are generally made from arrow bamboo that is straight-stemmed, round-bored and long-noded, with fairly even thickness from head to tail, bamboo flesh of suitable thickness, a tough texture, fine dense fibre and little tendency to split; the pitch is determined by the length, thickness and size of the tube, and the distances between holes must be exactly equal, otherwise the intonation will be uneven. The pitch system, timbre and blowing techniques of the qiang flute are highly distinctive, making it a rare treasure in the treasury of Chinese ethnic instruments.
Song of the Broken Willow
Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody".
Melody of Longing
Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody".
Shalang Melody
Frequently played qiang flute pieces include "Song of the Broken Willow", "Melody of Longing" and "Shalang Melody".
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The qiang flute circulates in the Qiang villages around Chibusu and Shaba in Maoxian County, Sichuan Province, and its playing and making techniques are passed on by oral transmission within families and from master to disciple. Historical records state that before the Western Han the qiang flute had four holes; in the 1st century CE the musician Jing Fang added a higher pitch hole, making five; by modern times it had six. Making a flute requires selecting arrow bamboo that is straight-stemmed, round-bored and long-noded, with fairly even thickness from head to tail, bamboo flesh of suitable thickness and little tendency to split; the pitch is determined by the length and thickness of the tube, and the distances between holes must be exactly equal.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Because the Qiang have no script of their own, their history and culture are handed down only through oral transmission from generation to generation, and the qiang flute has also become an important channel for exchanging and transmitting ethnic culture. Gong Dairen (from the official record of the associated inheritor): male, Qiang nationality, born in 1934, native of Maoxian, Sichuan. Representative inheritor of the qiang flute performing and making techniques, a second-batch national-level intangible cultural heritage item. He makes his living by farming. In 1950 he became a disciple of Gong Daipu, a descendant of the master of the Gong school of qiang flute, and studied qiang flute playing and making; he completed his apprenticeship after eight years. Since the 1980s he has improved shortcomings in the traditional repertoire and in qiang flute making, raising the lingering beauty of the pieces and the accuracy of the instrument's intonation. The qiang flutes he made have been exhibited and performed in Japan, France, Taiwan, China and other countries and regions. His work "Harvest Celebration" won first prize at an international folk art festival.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Gong Dairen 02-0278
- Chen Haiyuan
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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