Xuan Dance
01 · Historical Records
The Zanda karma xuan dance originated in the period of the Guge kingdom and was one of the Guge court dances, forming an important, solemn and magnificent part of the ceremonial escort and reception song-and-dance music of the Guge royal palace; it was widely popular in the ancient Ngari area of Tibet and in Ladakh.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Later, as the Guge kingdom perished, the karma xuan dance fell into the hands of the common people and almost disappeared. Only in recent years, through the efforts of many parties and by the collective recollection of the old people, was it slowly restored among the Ngari populace. This heritage project is handed down from generation to generation mainly within families in places such as Toling, Diya, Chulunsongjie and Sharang in Zanda County and Kejia in Pulan County, Ngari, Tibet Autonomous Region. The Zanda karma xuan dance is a traditional dance in which men of the ceremonial escort lead the dance, women in elaborate costume then dance gracefully behind them, and men and women sing antiphonal praise songs respectively, to the accompaniment of the aling (a pitch-varying drum, also called ari or dunbarre), the guowu (a six-string lute) and the suona. The escorting men are solemn and stately, and the women graceful and beautiful. In the past, the dance line of the Zanda karma xuan dance stretched for several li, winding forward; when one side had finished singing the other side answered, forming a magnificent sight. The lyrics and melodies of the Zanda karma xuan dance have never changed to this day, and its music can be called a living fossil of the classical music of western Tibet. Its principal accompanying instrument, the aling drum, is a traditional waist drum that appeared in the ancient Zhangzhung period; it comes in various shapes, is clearly documented in the murals of the main hall of the Red Temple at the Guge ruins, and likewise has a history of more than a thousand years. The guowu is a plucked instrument widely used in ancient Ngari among the folk; it first appeared in the Zhangzhung period and appears many times in the murals preserved at Guge. The Zanda karma xuan dance carries a long history and a rich culture, and through transmission from generation to generation it preserves abundant cultural memory. This heritage project displays the charm of Tibetan traditional dance art and conveys the Tibetan people's understanding of and awe for nature and life; it helps to strengthen the ties and identity of the communities concerned, promotes cooperation and unity, and has positive significance for enhancing national pride and cultural confidence.
The ling drum, the six-string guitar and the shawm
The three accompanying instruments of the dance: the ling drum, also called ari or dunbarre, the six-string gowu and the shawm; the drum and the gowu both appear in the murals of the Guge ruins.
Escort men leading, adorned women following
The basic disposition of the dance: escort men lead, richly dressed women follow, and the two groups sing antiphonal hymns, the men solemn and the women graceful.
From Guge court to village
Arose in the Guge period as a solemn and splendid part of the palace escort repertoire, spread through old Ngari and Ladakh, then fell to the villages and nearly vanished after Guge's fall.
A living fossil of western Tibetan music
Its lyrics and melodies are unchanged to this day and its music is called a living fossil of western Tibetan classical music, protected by the custom that ceremonial songs must not be altered.
Family transmission in Dangba village
Handed down within families in Toling, Diya, Chulusongjie, Sarang and Kojia, with Dangba village as the main bearer; the women's classical ceremonial dress has never changed.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Zanda karma xuan dance has Zanda County of Ngari Prefecture as its core area of transmission; Toling, Diya, Chulunsongjie and Sharang in Zanda, and Kejia in Pulan County, each have their own families of transmission, and Dangba Village in Sarang Township is the principal transmission village. According to the Gazetteer of the Ngari Prefecture and the project archives, the spread of the xuan dance in Ngari was closely bound up with the ceremonial escort system of the Guge royal palace; the sung text and the sequence of the dance are broadly the same in all localities, only the pattern on the women's xuan costume differs from family to family.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Xuan Dance · Xuan Dance.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Dangba Village in Sarang Township, Zanda County, is the main village of transmission for the Zanda karma xuan dance; in the village the old, the middle-aged and the young all dance the Zanda karma xuan dance. The women's costume of the Zanda karma xuan dance is the classical women's ceremonial xuan garment; it has never changed since being handed down to the present and possesses a certain aesthetic value.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Angga 03-0944
- Luojie 04-1578
- Zhuoga 05-2275
- Renzengwangmu
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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