Chuida
01 · Historical Records
At the end of the Tang and the beginning of the Song dynasty, when Yulin was being established, folk tunes of the ethnic minorities of the northwest frontier began to enter Guangxi and soon spread through southern Guangxi. They are recorded both in Zhou Qifei's "Lingwai Daida", written in the reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song, and in the "Yulin Prefecture Gazetteer", published during the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Guangxi bayin, also called "Guinan bayin", is a genre of Chinese folk instrumental music, named "eight sounds" because it is played on eight kinds of instrument - drum, gong, cymbals, flute, xiao, strings, qin and voice. It circulates mainly among the Han, Zhuang and Yao settlements of Nanning, Yulin, Guigang, Qinzhou, Wuzhou, Hezhou and other places. Its tunes are beautiful and resonant, its performance style ardent and joyful, and it is rich in Guangxi local and ethnic character. It is a folk instrumental art of considerable influence in Guangxi, of which Yulin bayin is the most representative. Yulin lies in the southeastern part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and was anciently called "Yulin"; it has been known as the "thousand-year-old ancient prefecture" since history began. As early as the end of primitive society it was inhabited by tribes such as the Xi'ou and the Luoyue. When Qin Shi Huang established commanderies in Lingnan, administrative structures first began in the Yulin area. In terms of performance form it is expressed in ensemble playing, mainly in seated playing and playing while moving. In terms of musical function it is used mainly for folk events such as the completion of a new house, marriage, funerals, birthday celebrations, business openings, festivals and the welcoming of guests; it also accompanies dragon dances, lion dances, folk opera and dance, and performs on amateur cultural stages. Its musical expressiveness is very rich and its artistic vitality strong, and it is deeply loved by the people.
Bayin ensemble instrumentation
It is named "eight sounds" because it is played on eight kinds of instrument - drum, gong, cymbals, flute, xiao, strings, qin and voice - and it is expressed in ensemble form, aiming at harmony among the eight sounds.
Soft and hard Bayin styles
They are divided into schools by region and style: Yulin soft-field and hard-field bayin, and Nanning Zhuang wenchang and wuchang bayin, the soft field emphasising sizhu (silk-and-bamboo) instruments and the hard field emphasising blowing and striking.
Seated and processional performance
Seated playing is used at hall occasions such as the completion of a new house, birthday celebrations and welcoming guests; processional playing is used mainly for marriage, festival processions and accompanying dragon and lion dances.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Influenced by these incoming folk tunes, folk artists of every generation in southern Guangxi blended in local folk musical elements and created the folk instrumental music with local characteristics of southern Guangxi - Guangxi bayin. By region, Guangxi bayin is divided into kinds such as Yulin soft-field bayin and hard-field bayin, and Nanning Zhuang wenchang bayin and wuchang bayin. The bayin troupes around Yulin are mostly folk troupes that farm as well as make music, performing as folk custom requires in the two forms of seated playing and playing while moving; by region the types of performance are further divided into Yulin soft-field bayin and hard-field bayin, and Nanning Zhuang wenchang bayin and wuchang bayin, the soft field emphasising sizhu (silk and bamboo) and refined tunes, the hard field emphasising blowing, striking and martial tunes, each with its own school, of which Yulin bayin is the most representative.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Chuida · Chuida.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Guangxi bayin has beautiful, resonant tunes and an ardent, joyful performance style rich in Guangxi local and ethnic character. It is used mainly for folk events such as the completion of a new house, marriage, funerals, birthday celebrations, business openings, festivals and the welcoming of guests, and also accompanies dragon dances, lion dances, folk opera and dance. Its musical expressiveness is rich and its artistic vitality strong, and it is a folk instrumental art of considerable influence in Guangxi.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Tang Youlun 02-0296
- Zhang Dengyang 02-0297
- Li Zichun 03-0845
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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