Daoist Music
01 · Historical Records
The history of Chengdu Daoist music runs parallel with the early Daoist activity of the Heming Mountain and Mount Qingcheng area. Music masters of successive generations, building on the sacrificial music and dance of ancient Shu, continually absorbed the folk music of Bashu and the tonal regulations of court music, so that a pattern of three coexisting schools — jingtan, shantan and xingtan — gradually took shape.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Daoist music is also called “daochang music” (music of the ritual ground); it is the music used in Daoist zhaijiao liturgical observances, and, like Daoism itself, it too has its origin in the ritual song and dance of ancient shamans. Daoist music consists of instrumental and vocal parts. In the instrumental part the leading instruments are bells, ching, drums, wooden fish and small gongs, supported by wind, plucked and bowed string instruments; the vocal part is centred on chanting, and comprises the solo singing of the high-ranking officiant who proclaims the precepts, recites dharani, praises the spirits and chants the declaration, together with the spoken declaration of the dujiang daoshi and the unison singing of the assembled daoshi. Chengdu Daoist music is a distinctive musical form that fuses the essence of the ancient music of the south and the north. It is based on the religious sacrificial music and dance of ancient Shu and took its final shape through the repeated refinement of music masters of successive generations. After more than 1,800 years of evolution, Chengdu Daoist music has not only spread widely within Chengdu and the more than 200 square kilometres around it, but has also circulated throughout the country, reaching Southeast Asia as well as Japan and the United States. Chengdu Daoist music preserves many features of ancient Shu sacrificial music and of Bashu folk music while at the same time absorbing the tonal regulations of court music. Whether the vocal styles of the chanting, the tune patterns performed, or the clothing worn by the performers and the pacing and circling of the procession in the ritual, all are rich in cultural content; and even for the zan, song and ji that share the same main melody, the shaping of the vocal lines and the melodic ornamentation are each different. It is used not only for the Daoist morning and evening devotions and for zhaijiao observances, but also for folk weddings, funerals and other celebratory occasions, and is therefore warmly welcomed by the people wherever it has spread. The jingtan and shantan schools of Daoist music form a single system, whose mainstream belongs to the music system of the Daoist Quanzhen school; the instrumental part is based mainly on xiyue (fine music), the vocal part uses the authentic Quanzhen rhymes, and the ends of phrases are often filled with syllabic melismas, giving the music great momentum; its representative pieces include 《Yin Xiaozan》, 《Xia Shuichuan》 and others. The xingtan school of Daoist music forms a different system, whose mainstream belongs to the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Way and to the music system of lay household Daoist priests; the instrumental part is based mainly on dayue (great music), the vocal part mainly uses the Guangcheng rhymes, and it is extremely rich in the character of Sichuan local music; its representative pieces include 《Bu Xu》, 《Jiu Ku Zan》 and others.
Yin Xiaozan
The jingtan and shantan schools of Daoist music form a single system, whose mainstream belongs to the music system of the Daoist Quanzhen school; the instrumental part is based mainly on xiyue (fine music), the vocal part uses the authentic Quanzhen rhymes, and the ends of phrases are often filled with syllabic melismas, giving the music great momentum; its representative pieces include 《Yin Xiaozan》, 《Xia Shuichuan》 and others. The xingtan school of Daoist music forms a different system, whose mainstream belongs to the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Way and to the music system of lay household Daoist priests; the instrumental part is based mainly on dayue (great music), the vocal part mainly uses the Guangcheng rhymes, and it is extremely rich in the character of Sichuan local music; its representative pieces include 《Bu Xu》, 《Jiu Ku Zan》 and others.
Xia Shuichuan
The jingtan and shantan schools of Daoist music form a single system, whose mainstream belongs to the music system of the Daoist Quanzhen school; the instrumental part is based mainly on xiyue (fine music), the vocal part uses the authentic Quanzhen rhymes, and the ends of phrases are often filled with syllabic melismas, giving the music great momentum; its representative pieces include 《Yin Xiaozan》, 《Xia Shuichuan》 and others. The xingtan school of Daoist music forms a different system, whose mainstream belongs to the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Way and to the music system of lay household Daoist priests; the instrumental part is based mainly on dayue (great music), the vocal part mainly uses the Guangcheng rhymes, and it is extremely rich in the character of Sichuan local music; its representative pieces include 《Bu Xu》, 《Jiu Ku Zan》 and others.
Bu Xu
The jingtan and shantan schools of Daoist music form a single system, whose mainstream belongs to the music system of the Daoist Quanzhen school; the instrumental part is based mainly on xiyue (fine music), the vocal part uses the authentic Quanzhen rhymes, and the ends of phrases are often filled with syllabic melismas, giving the music great momentum; its representative pieces include 《Yin Xiaozan》, 《Xia Shuichuan》 and others. The xingtan school of Daoist music forms a different system, whose mainstream belongs to the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Way and to the music system of lay household Daoist priests; the instrumental part is based mainly on dayue (great music), the vocal part mainly uses the Guangcheng rhymes, and it is extremely rich in the character of Sichuan local music; its representative pieces include 《Bu Xu》, 《Jiu Ku Zan》 and others.
Jiu Ku Zan
The jingtan and shantan schools of Daoist music form a single system, whose mainstream belongs to the music system of the Daoist Quanzhen school; the instrumental part is based mainly on xiyue (fine music), the vocal part uses the authentic Quanzhen rhymes, and the ends of phrases are often filled with syllabic melismas, giving the music great momentum; its representative pieces include 《Yin Xiaozan》, 《Xia Shuichuan》 and others. The xingtan school of Daoist music forms a different system, whose mainstream belongs to the Zhengyi Heavenly Master Way and to the music system of lay household Daoist priests; the instrumental part is based mainly on dayue (great music), the vocal part mainly uses the Guangcheng rhymes, and it is extremely rich in the character of Sichuan local music; its representative pieces include 《Bu Xu》, 《Jiu Ku Zan》 and others.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Chengdu Daoist music has three major schools, the jingtan, shantan and xingtan schools, customarily called the “Daoist music of the three altars”.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The scores of Chengdu Daoist music are all recorded in gongche notation and in dangqing notation, and they are transmitted orally from teacher to pupil. Chengdu Daoist music is an important subject in the history of Chinese music and in the history of the development of Daoism, and it has extremely high historical and cultural research value. At present, the Daoist organisations in Chengdu are loose, the music masters are scattered everywhere, and the repertoire lacks systematic collation; effective measures for protection and transmission are urgently needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhang Yubao 03-0894
- Li Manshan 03-0895
- Shi Jitong 03-0896
- You Wuzhong 03-0897
- Zhang Minggui 03-0898
- Wu Bingzhi 04-1537
- Feng Yingzhan 05-2153
- He Chunsheng 05-2154
- Wu Lixun 05-2155
- Zhan Heping 05-2156
- Zhang Jintao 05-2157
- Huo Dezhong 05-2158
- An Baohui 05-2159
- Wu Huyong
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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