Axie
01 · Historical Records
In the 1920s, while the monastery of Zhude was under construction, he created Dabu Axiang, with flexible and varied melodies and agile, brisk steps, letting the labourers sing and dance as they worked, so as to ease their fatigue and raise their spirits.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
“Dabu Axiang” means in Tibetan the Dabu ram song. It is transmitted within Biru County of Nagqu, Tibet, and is said to have been created by the fifth Dabu Living Buddha of Biru (Nashiu); to the present day it has a history of nearly a hundred years. The Dabu Living Buddha is a renowned Buddhist scholar, philosopher and artist of Tibet, well versed in the five sciences, both greater and lesser, and of high attainment in Buddhist studies. Dabu Axiang, which integrates singing, dancing and music, is divided into thirty-one chapters dealing with politics, religion, culture, nature, geography, life and customs; among them are maxims of sages, literati poetry and the admonitions of prophets, and in performance it is sung and danced throughout, full of local colour. Dabu Axiang has chorus, unison and solo singing, and its dance skills are rich and varied, with endless changes of formation. Performers may number one, two, three or more than a hundred; when there are many they form a circle or stand in two rows, without distinction of men and women, and they sing and dance as they go to the aga (a Tibetan struck idiophone). While singing and jumping, the performers now and then rotate their wrists and change formations, holding the aga in the right hand, singing and dancing rhythmically while pounding the ram. The song-and-dance rhythms and forms are many and varied: there are love songs, antiphonal singing and the like; some dancers tie a string of bells to their implements and strike out crisp bell sounds in different rhythms.
The aga clapping instrument
The aga is a Tibetan percussion instrument held in the right hand, its tamping strokes turning the labour of building into part of the dance.
Thirty-one chapters
The form runs to thirty-one chapters touching politics, religion, culture, nature, geography and custom, sung in chorus, unison or solo.
The building of Drude monastery
Legend credits the fifth Dabu tulku with creating the form around 1920 while building Drude monastery, so that labourers could sing and dance as they worked.
Bells strung on the tools
Some dancers tie strings of bells to their tools, striking crisp patterns in time; the rhythms and forms vary widely, from love song to antiphony.
The fifth Dabu tulku
A noted scholar, philosopher and artist versed in the five sciences, the fifth Dabu tulku is credited with fusing religious, folk, literary, musical and dance elements into the repertoire.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Dabu Axiang is transmitted within Biru County of Nagqu City, Tibet; in Tibetan it means “the Dabu ram song”. Performers may number one, two, three or more than a hundred; when there are many they form a circle or stand in two rows, without distinction of men and women, holding the aga in the right hand and singing and dancing as they go, singing and dancing rhythmically while pounding the ram; some dancers also tie a string of bells to their implements, striking out crisp bell sounds in different rhythms. The Dabu Living Buddha is a renowned Buddhist scholar, philosopher and artist of Tibet, well versed in the five sciences, both greater and lesser, and of high attainment in Buddhist studies. According to the County Annals of Biru and the records of the project, this song-and-dance work is divided into thirty-one chapters dealing with politics, religion, culture, nature, geography, life and customs, among them maxims of sages, literati poetry and the admonitions of prophets.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Dabu Axiang brings together elements of primitive religion, folklore, literature, music, dance and other kinds, displays achievements in many fields, and has very high academic research value. At present this ethnic folk song-and-dance has few successors, and an urgent plan for its protection is needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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