Jinmenfagu

01 · Historical Records

The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu originated in the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and has a history of more than two hundred years; it circulates mainly in Guajia Temple street and its surroundings in Hexi district, Tianjin. It is said that the founder of the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu was a monk of Dajue'an temple in Tianjin during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty; he stripped away the religious elements of Buddhist music, created a number of drum named tunes, passed them to the neighbouring villages and established fagu associations which performed them on New Year festivals and other festive days.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Fagu is an important item of the Tianjin folk flower gatherings; it derives from Buddhist music, and it is said that the earliest fagu troupe was the Dajue'an Jinyin fagu association. The instruments of a fagu association consist of drum, cymbals, nao, small cymbals (gezi) and small gongs (dangzi), the drum taking the lead and standing at the centre of the band; the cymbals stand left and right, seven or eight players to each, while the gezi and dangzi have two players each, all behind the drum. In performance all the hand-held instruments must be played in the showy manner called “shua”, and the players take turns performing. The beginning of a performance is called “kai”: the drum is struck several times first, then the head cymbals are struck four times in succession, after which all the instruments play together from their scores. In a procession, however, only the gezi and dangzi play the named tune Chang Yuan Dian in order to keep the steps in time. A fagu has about a dozen suites of named tunes, those in common use being Lao Xi He, Yao Tong Gu and others. There are many folk fagu associations, the better known including the Guajia Temple Qingyin fagu, the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu, the Liuyuan Xiangyin fagu, the Longting Jingyin fagu, the Jiyuan Huayin fagu and the Houjiahou Yongyin fagu. Fagu was originally a Buddhist ritual instrument; the drum head is covered with the skin of the finless porpoise and the body is rather large. When the Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu turns out it chiefly represents the splendour of Prince Shakyamuni going out to tour, some forty people taking part, and it is divided into a civil and a martial field. The civil field is the ceremonial retinue, which in procession is arranged in order and moves in single file; it is imposing and distinctive. The members shoulder more than ten loads such as tea stoves, dragon poles, snack boxes and boxes of clothes and costume, which rise and fall rhythmically with the beat of the drum. The martial field, commonly called the “implements field”, is mainly the band; the various percussion instruments play according to definite named tunes and scores, and the drum, cymbals, nao and cha leap up and down in the accompaniment, striking left and right, performing movements such as “wrapping the head and face” and “fishing the moon from the sea”; the rhythm slows and quickens, rises and falls with leaps and bounds, the emotion stirring and the atmosphere ardent. The Yongyin fagu performance shows both the beauty of masculine strength and the delicate charm of feminine grace, with voice and feeling in full accord and a natural harmony. The equipment and decoration of the civil field are mostly inset with glass and bear patterns of colour painting or openwork relief, carved with great delicacy. The named tunes played by the percussion instruments are of six principal kinds, including Fu Gui Tu, Yin Yang Yu, Dui Lian, Si Shi Ru Yi, Ba Gua Tu and Xiu Qiu. Whether in the civil field or the martial field, all kinds of props, implements and decorations are made up in pairs, in couples and in sets. The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu has exquisite props and a marked character, enjoys a high reputation in Jinmen, and is a unique flower of folk art rich in local flavour in Tianjin.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

The Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu centres on the Guajia Temple street area of Hexi district, Tianjin; it derives from the monk of Dajue'an in the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, who stripped the religious elements out of Buddhist music, composed drum named tunes and passed them to the neighbouring villages. When it turns out it chiefly represents the splendour of Prince Shakyamuni going out to tour, some forty people taking part, divided into a civil and a martial field: the civil field is the ceremonial retinue, and the martial field, commonly called the “implements field”, is the percussion band.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Jinmenfagu · Jinmenfagu · Jinmenfagu.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

It has always been transmitted by oral teaching from heart to heart. At present the meeting place of the Yongyin fagu association has been demolished; with the props damaged and the members ageing, this folk art of marked regional character is in a precarious position and urgently needs the concern and support of the relevant departments, so that it may be transmitted smoothly and continue to develop. Fu Bao'an (associated bearer, as recorded in the official archive): male, Han, born in August 1950, a native of Tianjin. Influenced by his family from childhood, he took a liking to the Guajia Temple Qingyin fagu. At the age of four he began to learn to strike the small gezi, at ten he could play the flying cymbals, and at sixteen he had mastered all five of the percussion instruments of the fagu. After taking the famous fagu master Sun Shangping as his teacher in 1964, he studied the ancient fagu scores and dance movements more systematically and came to understand them comprehensively. In study and practice he demands much of himself, observes the rules of the association, masters the fagu technique comprehensively and accurately, becomes familiar with the history of the ceremonial regalia, and afterwards takes part in the maintenance and management of the fagu instruments and of the regalia. At the same time he transmits what he has learned without reserve, going into the communities year round to teach apprentices. He is a representative inheritor of Jinmen fagu (Guajia Temple Qingyin fagu), a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the fifth batch. Yang Kuiju (associated bearer, as recorded in the official archive): male, Han, born in November 1935, a native of Tianjin. He is expert in the fagu technique, able to master with skill the playing and the routines of the five instruments drum, bo, nao, dangzi and cha-ge (raising the flag, the six-nine bo, stacked gold coins, fishing the moon, rolled curtain, crotch drum), as well as the scores (picture of wealth and honour, yin-yang fishes, couplet, four seasons as one wishes, eight trigrams diagram, embroidered ball). In 1995 he became president of the local fagu association, leading its members in public-benefit performances and academic exchange activities. He is a representative inheritor of Jinmen fagu (Yangjiazhuang Yongyin fagu), a national-level intangible cultural heritage item of the fifth batch. In 2007 he was awarded the title of “Drum King of Jinmen” by Tianjin municipality.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

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

• Fu Baoan 05-2130
• Yang Kuiju 05-2131
• Tian Wenqi 05-2132
• Cao Guihua 05-2133
• Liu Yuxin
• Wu Qiang

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Jinmenfagu (Hexi, Tianjin) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Fu Baoan · National Representative Bearer Archive
3. Yang Kuiju · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗