Liangping Laizi Gong and Drum

01 · Historical Records

Liangping laizi gong and drum music is a form of folk instrumental music transmitted within Liangping County of Chongqing Municipality; the date of its origin can no longer be traced. According to the Zhuzhi Ci (Bamboo Branch Songs) written by the Qing-dynasty local literatus Lan Yiqing of that county, Liangping laizi gong and drum music was already widely current around the transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

The pieces of Liangping laizi gong and drum music are called "luogu yinzi" (gong-and-drum lead-ins), of which the lead-in of the "eighteen laizi" gong and drum set is representative. The principal ones are "lao laizi", "hua laizi", "yuan yang laizi", "diao laizi", "gan laizi", "zhong hulu" (double gourd) and "nanshan wang" (South Mountain Net). Among them, the principal pieces of the eighteen laizi include Lao Lai Zi, Lao Lai Zi (variant form) and Hua Lai Zi. The pieces commonly used at the beginning and the end are Jin Yin Deng (Golden and Silver Lantern), Zhan Ling Zhi (Fighting the Lingzhi Fungus) and Ji Wei Zi (Hurried Ending). In the course of a performance, eighteen sections must be played in one breath, three sections forming a group, six groups in all. Each group must contain one section beginning with the horse gong, one beginning with the cymbals and one beginning with the large gong. On this basis it further developed into more than a hundred gong-and-drum lead-ins, including "Jin Yin Deng", "Jin Yin Hua" and "Hong Xiu Xie". The instruments of Liangping laizi gong and drum music are six in number: the two drums, the horse gong, the cymbals, the large gong, the hook gong and the small cymbals; the band consists of five people, and the player of the horse gong also plays the hook gong. Liangping laizi gong and drum music is characterised by a resonant sound, a lively atmosphere, a rising and falling melodic contour and lingering interest, and is often performed at folk occasions such as festival gatherings, opening celebrations, birthday rites, weddings and funerals, and is deeply loved by the people. In this situation, Liangping laizi gong and drum music is on the verge of extinction.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Liangping laizi gong and drum music is current within Liangping County of Chongqing Municipality; according to the Zhuzhi Ci (Bamboo Branch Songs) written by the Qing-dynasty local literatus Lan Yiqing, it was already widely spread around the transition between the Ming and Qing dynasties. Its pieces are called "luogu yinzi" (gong-and-drum lead-ins), of which the lead-in of the "eighteen laizi" gong and drum set is representative, and there are also "lao laizi", "hua laizi", "yuan yang laizi", "diao laizi", "gan laizi", "zhong hulu" and "nanshan wang"; the instruments are six in number, the two drums, the horse gong, the cymbals, the large gong, the hook gong and the small cymbals, and the band consists of five people, the player of the horse gong also playing the hook gong. In performance eighteen sections are played in one breath, three sections forming a group and six groups in all, each group containing one section each beginning with the horse gong, the cymbals and the large gong; on this basis more than a hundred gong-and-drum lead-ins were further developed, including "Jin Yin Deng", "Jin Yin Hua" and "Hong Xiu Xie".

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

At present some performers have died off in succession, those still living are of advanced age, and young people are unwilling to learn to play gongs and drums, so the number of gong-and-drum performers is steadily diminishing and the existing troupes can only be merged for performance. Liu Guansheng (as recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han, born in 1955, a native of Liangping, Chongqing. He can play the two drums, the large gong, the cymbals and the horse gong of laizi gong and drum music with ease, has memorised all the scores of laizi gong and drum music, and plays with fluency and completeness, uniting heart, mouth and hand. Representative inheritor of Liangping laizi gong and drum music of the second national-level batch of the intangible cultural heritage projects. He has taken part many times in folk arts performances and won awards, and has trained dozens of representative inheritors of Liangping laizi gong and drum music.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

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

• Liu Guansheng 02-0298
• He Zhican

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Liangping Laizi Gong and Drum (Liangping, Chongqing) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Liu Guansheng · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗