Jiang Drum Music

01 · Historical Records

Jiangzhou drum music is said to have originated in the pre-Qin period and to have flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Jiangzhou drum music arose in Xinjiang County, a city of historical and cultural renown. Xinjiang County lies at the southwestern edge of Shanxi Province, in the north of Yuncheng and at the southern end of the Lüliang Mountains, at the meeting point of the three provinces and regions of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Henan; it has always held an important position in political, cultural and economic terms. The Zhili Jiangzhou Zhi records: "In the seasonal sacrifices to the land, in the rainy seasons of summer and winter, and since the townships hold much incense, they perform the she drums and stage plays." The Xinjiang County Gazetteer likewise says: "Whenever the she sacrifice falls due, plays must be staged for several days, acting out all sorts of stories, with gongs and drums and the like." Jiangzhou drum music has long been famed as enough to "shake the earth and shake the mountains" and to be "heard ten li away". The flower-beat drum piece is the most representative form within Jiangzhou drum music. The instruments it uses are drums of many shapes and differing construction. There are more than a dozen striking techniques in use, namely striking the drum rim, striking the drum edge, inking the drum tacks, rubbing the drum head, beating the drum shell, drawing the drum skin, knocking the drum rings, striking the drum stand, the single-stave roll, the double-stave pound, beater rubbing, beater striking, beater beating and beater lifting. These techniques constitute the distinctive local colour of Jiangzhou drum music, and this local colour is closely bound to its distinctive artistic style. Folk practice divides Jiangzhou drum music into three branches, each with its own usual repertoire: the southern branch has "Ji Gua La", "La Gua Ji", "Zha Dong Gua" and the like; the middle branch has "Ding Gang", "Ma Que Cai Dan" and the like; the northern branch has "Niu Dou Hu", "Fenghuang Dan Zhan Chi", "Shi Zi Liao Xiu Qiu" and the like.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Jiangzhou drum music is current in Xinjiang County, Shanxi Province. Folk practice divides it into southern, middle and northern branches, each with its own usual repertoire: the southern branch has "Ji Gua La", "La Gua Ji", "Zha Dong Gua" and the like; the middle branch has "Ding Gang", "Ma Que Cai Dan" and the like; the northern branch has "Niu Dou Hu", "Fenghuang Dan Zhan Chi", "Shi Zi Liao Xiu Qiu" and the like. Among them the flower-beat drum piece is the most representative form in Jiangzhou drum music, using drums of many shapes and differing construction, with more than a dozen striking techniques transmitted today, namely striking the rim, striking the edge, inking the tacks, rubbing the head, beating the shell, drawing the skin, knocking the rings, striking the stand, the single-stave roll, the double-stave pound, beater rubbing, beater striking, beater beating and beater lifting, together forming a distinctive local colour.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Jiangzhou drum music has a long history, is deeply loved by the local people, and possesses certain social, historical and artistic value. Long famed as enough to "shake the earth and shake the mountains" and to be "heard ten li away", it served folk-custom activities for many years, among them the seasonal sacrifices to the land, the incense gatherings of the townships and the plays performed at she sacrifices. The Zhili Jiangzhou Zhi records "In the seasonal sacrifices to the land, in the rainy seasons of summer and winter, and since the townships hold much incense, they perform the she drums and stage plays", and the Xinjiang County Gazetteer likewise records "Whenever the she sacrifice falls due, plays must be staged for several days, acting out all sorts of stories, with gongs and drums and the like", which shows that it and the local shehuo and temple fairs are two aspects of the same thing, and that it has certain social, historical and artistic value.

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Jiang Drum Music (Xinjiang, Shanxi) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗