Hunan's Best — Masterpieces and Art Treasures (Part 3)
A Jiangnan Marvel—Changsha Palm Leaf Weaving. Changsha palm leaf weaving is a folk craft of small ornaments made from palm leaves, widely practiced in the Changsha area. Palm trees are evergreen and grown throughout rural Changsha County; artisans collect leaves and weave them into lifelike birds, insects, shrimp, cranes, snakes, frogs, and other creatures, hailed as a "Jiangnan marvel."
This article has been compiled from historical materials in the "Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network" (33519.com · City Overview section). Some administrative divisions, population, socioeconomic data, and policy information may be outdated and are for reference only; for the latest situation, please refer to official releases by the local government and scenic areas.
A Unique Art of Jiangnan—Changsha Palm Weaving
Changsha palm weaving is a small handicraft made from palm leaves and a folk craft widely spread in the Changsha area. The palm is an evergreen tree, cultivated in rural areas throughout Changsha County. Folk artists collect palm leaves and weave them into birds, insects, shrimp, cranes, snakes, frogs, and various other insects and animals, lifelike and vivid, and it is praised as "a unique art of Jiangnan." Because it was mostly woven from fresh leaves, which easily withered and deformed, artists studied and improved it by processing the fresh leaves, dyeing and lacquering after weaving, so that it remained unchanged for a long time, with bright colors and more lifelike forms. It was once exhibited at the Leipzig World Expo in Germany and received high praise.
The World's Unique Handicraft—Linwu Dragon Whisker Grass Mat
The dragon whisker grass mat is a handicraft hand-woven by folk women in Linwu, said to have begun around the Ming Dynasty. The dragon whisker grass mat is finely handcrafted, woven flat and smooth, soft and breathable, freely foldable, and easy to carry. Used for bedding, it is warm in winter and cool in summer and durable. In 1954, the Linwu dragon whisker grass mat was exhibited at the Leipzig World Expo in Germany and was praised as "the world's unique handicraft." Thereafter, in addition to selling well in major Chinese cities and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, the dragon whisker grass mat was also exported to the Nanyang Archipelago, Japan, Europe, America, and more than 30 other countries and regions. Through continuous innovation, its varieties and designs have increased day by day.
One of China's Three Great Knives and Scissors—Changsha Laodaohe Knives and Scissors
Laodaohe knives and scissors are a famous craft small commodity in Hunan Province, produced in Laodaohe Town, Changsha County. According to the Changsha County Gazetteer, as early as more than 500 years ago, knife and scissors production in this area was already very prosperous. The scissors produced were famous for opening and closing smoothly, cutting cloth sharply, and being durable, and were as famous as the products of Wang Mazi in Beijing and Zhang Xiaoquan in Hangzhou. The kitchen knives produced were famous throughout the province for their sharp edges and beautiful shapes. In the national knife and scissors quality competition, among Laodaohe knife and scissors products, polished scissors ranked first, electroplated scissors ranked second, and blued scissors won the title of national quality product.
A Famous Specialty That Won the "China Specialty Award"—Changsha Down Products
Down products are a long-famous specialty of Changsha. They are renowned at home and abroad for their meticulous workmanship and excellent, clean down quality, and once won the "China Specialty Award" at the Panama International Exposition. The founder, Ding Pengzhu, a native of Hengyang, Hunan, formally established a factory in 1920 to produce down products, called Ding-made down. At present, Changsha's down products have developed to dozens of varieties and more than 400 styles.
Section Three
Instrumental Music, Song and Dance, Intangible Cultural Heritage Drama
China's Earliest Set of Playable Musical Instruments—Nipple-Nail Cloud-and-Thunder Pattern Biannao
The nipple-nail cloud-and-thunder pattern biannao (a set of bronze bells) housed in the Changsha Museum was produced in the Shang Dynasty, with heights of 36.5 cm to 53.5 cm and weights of 9.5 kg to 28.5 kg. The biannao consists of 9 pieces, uniform in shape from small to large, with roughly the same decoration. The handle is a round tube connected to the bell chamber, with a knob in the middle of the handle. The bell body is decorated with two groups of 18 nipple nails, which protrude and have thick bases. Among them, the nao numbered 7 is decorated with half-relief tiger patterns on both sides of the drum section. The appearance of nao in sets is rare nationwide. In 1993, at the bronze large nao in Laoliangcang, Ningxiang, according to sampling and pitch measurement, each piece of this set of biannao can produce 1-2 different musical tones, and combined, all five ancient tones are complete, capable of playing various ancient tunes. It is currently the earliest set of playable musical instruments in China.
China's Earliest Discovered Flute to Date—Western Han Bamboo Flute
The Records of the Grand Historian states: "The Yellow Emperor sent Ling Lun to cut bamboo in Kun and made a flute, which sounded like a phoenix's cry." Using bamboo as material was a great advance in flute making. By the Qin and Han periods, there were already seven-hole bamboo flutes, and double-ended flutes were invented. Cai Yong, Xun Xu, and Emperor Wu of Liang all made twelve-pitch flutes, that is, one flute for each pitch. In ancient times, the flute was called "peng." By the Han Dynasty, Xu Shen's Explanation of Words and Characters recorded: "Flute, seven holes, bamboo tube." The bamboo flute unearthed from Han Tomb No. 3 at Mawangdui in Changsha is the earliest flute discovered in China to date. From the unearthed flute, it can be seen that the flute has 7 holes, is open, can play seven tones plus two accidentals, and is not lacquered. Its appearance not only provides precious physical materials for the study of the early development of bamboo flute forms but also corrects the historical error that the flute was introduced to the Central Plains only during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han.
The Most Popular Instrument Among the Miao People—Miao Suona
The Miao suona is a double-reed aerophone instrument of the Miao people, popular in Miao areas of Jishou, Huayuan, Fenghuang, and other counties in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Hunan Province. Its shape is similar to the Han suona, consisting of a pipe body, a core, a reed, and a bell mouth, generally with eight finger holes, and is one of the most popular instruments among the Miao people. The Miao suona is mainly controlled by the player's fingers and breath. To play a tune with artistic appeal, one must not only be familiar with the qupai but also use emotion to move the breath. The suona has solo and ensemble forms; in ensemble, the sound is loud and majestic. There are many Miao suona qupai, and commonly used ones include: Reporting Tune, Welcoming Guests Tune, Toast Tune, Farewell Tune, Send-off Tune, Butterfly Gathers Flowers, and Bees Cross the Ridge.
China's First International Country Music Week—Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week
The China Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week, held on May 14, 2009, at the Wulingyuan Scenic Area in Zhangjiajie, Hunan, was hosted by the Provincial Department of Culture, the Provincial Tourism Bureau, and the Zhangjiajie Municipal People's Government, and undertaken by Huanglongdong Investment Co., Ltd. With the theme of "Peace, Harmony, Exchange, Promotion," it aimed to showcase the charm of professional and folk country music, promote world ethnic cultural exchange and integration; it was a large-scale event to further enhance the international competitiveness of Zhangjiajie tourism products, vigorously promote the transformation and upgrading of Hunan tourism products, and realize the deep integration of tourism and culture. During the music week, 31 overseas country music teams from 19 countries including the United States, France, Russia, South Korea, and Japan gathered among the extraordinary mountains and waters of the World Natural Heritage site Zhangjiajie and, together with Chinese country music bands, played heavenly sounds representing the unique local characteristics of various countries. The melodies of country music echoed through the mountains of the World Natural Heritage site, making tourists who came upon hearing the news linger and forget to return, fully enjoying the wonderful musical journey of Zhangjiajie. This was the first time China held such a large-scale international country music festival.
National Intangible Cultural Heritage—Changde Sixian
Changde Sixian is an important branch of Hunan Sixian, a type of Hunan folk music. It originated from the popular tunes and ditties of the Ming Dynasty in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions. Because it was the most developed and influential form of Hunan Sixian, it has attained the status of an independent musical genre. It is a folk performing art popular in the Dongting Lake area, accompanied by stringed instruments such as the yangqin, pipa, sanxian, jinghu, and erhu, hence the name "Changde Sixian." Changde Sixian is a folk storytelling and singing performance art, primarily singing with speaking as a supplement, with alternating narration and song. It has a large capacity and can perform large-scale stories with characters and plots, as well as short, concise pieces. On May 20, 2006, Changde Sixian was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.
A Gem of Hunan Folk Songs — Sangzhi Folk Songs
Sangzhi folk songs are a gem of Hunan's ethnic culture, with a long history and an immense repertoire. Their characteristics include simple and sincere emotions that touch the heart, rich and varied melodies, and beautiful, pleasant tunes. Because Sangzhi folk songs have a long history, lively rhythms, and beautiful melodies, with distinct ethnic style and mountain-area characteristics, they have been praised by the music circles inside and outside the province as a "sea of folk songs." The famous Chinese musician Qu Xixian evaluated Sangzhi folk songs as "golden melodies." Sangzhi folk songs were performed three times in Beijing for report performances in January 1957, May 1962, and October 1979, receiving high praise from Party and state leaders. In October 2005, Sangzhi folk songs were named one of the "Top Ten Ethnic and Folk Cultural Heritages of Hunan Province," and in May 2006 they were listed by the Ministry of Culture in the "First Batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Works."
A Precious Treasure of Hunan's Deep Mountains — Jingzhou Miao Ethnic Gedeng
The Miao ethnic Gedeng, part of the first batch of national ethnic and folk intangible cultural heritage, is one of the two "national treasures" of Huaihua City. It has a long history and fully demonstrates the strong local ethnic minority characteristics of Jingzhou. It is a form of multi-part choral singing that evolved from the sounds of nature. In ancient Miao villages, the beautiful and fresh natural environment and the simple and joyful life inspired the Miao ancestors to develop a strong interest in and association with the rich and varied "harmonies" of nature, such as bird songs, cicada chirps, flowing water, and forest waves. They then imitated the "harmonies" of nature to compose pleasant songs with overlapping high and low voices. Later, through long-term selection, processing, and refinement, beautiful melodies and coordinated harmonies were formed, and thus it has been called a "treasure of the deep mountains" and "heavenly music" by many experts and art enthusiasts.
A Treasure of Hunan Folk Music — Lishui Boatmen's Work Songs
In the mid-Ming Dynasty, with the rise of boat transport, most of the laboring people along the banks of the Lishui, Censhui, and Daohe rivers in Li County made their living by shipping goods. In the process of pulling boats upstream, in order to concentrate strength, boost morale, and unify their pace, a unique labor chant transformed from local ditties naturally emerged — this is the Lishui Boatmen's Work Song. The work songs take as their theme the boatmen's arduous lives and labor scenes. They have no fixed libretto or lyrics, nor do they require specialized teachers; they are passed down orally from ancestors from generation to generation, spanning about 500 years to date. In 1956, the Central Folk Music Collection Team came to Li County specifically to collect them. The Hunan Song and Dance Troupe performed them in Beijing and won the first prize for national folk music. Later, the National Song and Dance Troupe performed "Lishui Boatmen's Work Songs" in Hungary and won a major international folk music award. In 1981, they were included in the "Selected Hunan Folk Songs." With its unique artistic style and charm, Hunan's "Lishui Boatmen's Work Songs" have long been renowned at home and abroad and are a brilliant treasure of folk music.
Hunan's Most Creative Symphony of Nature — Tujia Daliuzi
Daliuzi, commonly known as "playing instruments," is a unique folk instrumental music of the Tujia ethnic group in western Hunan. A full set of liuzi consists of four percussion instruments: the small gong (also called the gou gong), the first cymbal, the second cymbal, and the large gong. It is indispensable on festive occasions such as Tujia weddings, New Year and festival celebrations, and the Tiaonian Hand-Waving Festival. The key to playing daliuzi is tacit cooperation, and according to the prompts of the tune melodies, using unique performance techniques to imitate various natural sounds such as the calls of mountains, the flow of water, the warbling of birds, and the galloping of beasts, making people feel as if they are there in person, such as "Myna Bathing," "Ants Climbing a Tree," "Pheasant Flapping Wings," and "Toad Blowing Bubbles." Because the most creative themes of daliuzi come from nature, with a strong rustic flavor and peculiar performance, it has made a big splash in the international music scene. Foreign experts have praised Tujia daliuzi as a symphony of nature.
The Earliest Source of Ancient Chinese Drama and Dance — Maogusi Dance
Maogusi Dance is an ancient dance of the Tujia ethnic group commemorating ancestors' pioneering of wilderness, fishing, and hunting and other world-creating deeds. In Chinese it is often called "Maogusi" or "Mao Hunting Dance." It originated in Tujia sacrificial rituals and is mainly spread in Longshan County, Yongshun County, Baojing County, and Guzhang County in western Hunan. Maogusi is a classic in China's ethnic cultural garden and has been listed by the State Council in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage protection list. In 1959, it was recognized by the Central Ethnic and Folk Dance Investigation Team as "the earliest source of ancient Chinese drama and dance" and as a "living fossil for studying ancient Chinese drama and dance." At 6 p.m. on August 8, 2008, the Tujia Maogusi program "Celebration" participated as Hunan Province's only program in the cultural performance before the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.
King of Chinese Drums — Xiangxi Miao Drum Dance
Xiangxi Miao Drum Dance is the most unique dance art in China's Miao regions, spread in Jishou City and Fenghuang, Luxi, Baojing, Huayuan, Guzhang and other counties within the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in Hunan Province. Since the establishment of the Xiangxi Miao Autonomous Prefecture in 1952, it has repeatedly sent professional and amateur performance teams with drum dances to participate in performances organized by the province and the central government, and has won national championships several times. Especially in 1957, Long Cailian, a Miao girl from Guzhang County, brought the drum dance to Warsaw, Poland, to participate in the World Festival of Youth and Students, causing a sensation worldwide. As a result, Xiangxi Miao Drum Dance won the reputation of "King of Chinese Drums." On May 20, 2006, Xiangxi Miao Drum Dance was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.
The World's Unique Dragon Cultural Heritage — Yanling Three-Person Dragon
The dragon, originating from ancient farming culture, is a totem worshipped by the Chinese nation for thousands of years. In the long course of history, the birth and evolution of dragon culture is a unique expression of Emperor Yan's farming culture. In particular, the nationally unique and world-unique Yanling "Three-Person Dragon" is a gem of Chinese dragon culture. In terms of performance and competition forms, Yanling "Three-Person Dragon" includes the daytime-performed "Three-Person Cloth Dragon" and the nighttime-performed "Three-Person Fire Star Dragon," among others. This unique folk art of Yanling integrates the characteristics of dance, music, and competition, with distinct artistic features, practicality, and artistic appreciation value. In people's lives it has become a symbol of nobility and even more a symbol of ancestors. Major events and happy occasions in Yanling County must invite the "Three-Person Dragon" to add a grand and festive atmosphere. The "Three-Person Dragon" performance has a lively rhythm; the dragon head dancer must be a strong man, with graceful dance movements, and the dragon body and tail closely follow. Coupled with the accompaniment of gongs, drums, and suona, and the excitement of firecrackers and fireworks, it appears even more colorful, prosperous, magnificent, and spectacular. Yanling "Three-Person Dragon" has won the first prize in dragon dance at the Fifth National Ethnic Minority Traditional Sports Games. The CCTV Channel 5 program "Good Morning China" used the performance of Yanling "Three-Person Fire Star Dragon" as its opening sequence. Yanling "Three-Person Dragon" has been selected as one of the first batch of intangible cultural heritage projects in Hunan Province.
Hunan Ethnic and Folk Cultural Heritage — Xiangxi Tujia Hand-Waving Dance
The Xiangxi Tujia Hand-Waving Dance, one of Hunan's top ten ethnic and folk cultural heritages, is the folk dance with the most distinctive Tujia ethnic characteristics and the best reflection of ancient Tujia customs. It is currently mainly spread in Longshan, Baojing, Yongshun and other places in western Hunan, and is generally performed at night from the third day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. It originated in the ancient ancestor-worship rituals of the Tujia ethnic group. According to inferences from the Qing Dynasty stele of the Eight Great Kings Temple and county annals, it has a history of nearly a thousand years. The Hand-Waving Dance integrates song, dance, music, and drama, expressing a wide and rich range of historical and social life content such as human reproduction, ethnic migration, hunting and fishing, sericulture and weaving, slash-and-burn farming, myths and legends, and daily life. It reproduces the entire process of Tujia farming life and reflects the optimistic spirit of the Tujia people who love labor, fear no hardships, love life, and survive tenaciously. It is important material for understanding and studying Tujia culture.
A Gem of Chinese Drama — Chenhe Gaoqiang
Chenhe Gaoqiang is a local opera genre that includes Gaoqiang, Tanqiang, and a small portion of Kunqu, with Gaoqiang as the main component. It is popular in the Chenhe area, a tributary of the middle and upper reaches of the Yuanjiang River in Hunan Province. It originated from Yiyang Qiang and developed during the Daoguang and Xianfeng periods of the Qing Dynasty. It has 48 volumes of "Mulian Opera" as well as repertoire such as "Golden Seal," "Red Robe Record," "A Pillar of Loyalty," "Pipa Record," and "Feigning Madness in the Oil Cauldron," which have been performed for a long time in western Hunan and are deeply loved by the masses. The vocal style of Chenhe Gaoqiang is high-pitched and passionate, with a wide vocal range, capable of soaring through high, middle, and low registers. When bold, it is like shattering gold and jade, resounding through the clouds; when soft, it is as delicate as a gossamer, melodious and moving. Chenhe Gaoqiang completely preserves ethnic and regional characteristics, has a broad mass base, and was relatively early in achieving interaction between audience and performers in theatrical performances, and is called "the world's earliest stream-of-consciousness art." When Chenhe Gaoqiang performed abroad, it caused a sensation and was praised as "a gem of Chinese drama."
Hunan's Largest Opera Genre — Xiang Opera
Xiang Opera is one of the local opera genres of Hunan Province and the largest opera genre in Hunan. It mainly centers on Changsha and Xiangtan, and is sung in Zhongzhou rhyme and Changsha official dialect, and was once called "Changsha Xiang Opera." It also includes four vocal styles: Gaoqiang, Dipaizi, Kunqu, and Luantan. Its name first appeared in the first volume of "Hunan Opera Examination" printed in Changsha in the 9th year of the Republic of China (1920 AD). After the founding of the People's Republic of China, many famous plays were compiled and created, such as "Pipa on the Road," "Hunting and Returning the Letter," and "Chasing the Fish." The Gaoqiang play "Worshiping the Moon" and the modern play "Song of the Gardener" were both made into films. On May 20, 2006, Xiang Opera was approved by the State Council and included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.
Hunan's Most Widely Popular Opera Genre — Changsha Flower-Drum Opera
Changsha Flower-Drum Opera is popular in Changsha, Xiangtan, Zhuzhou, Ningxiang, Yiyang, Liuyang, Pingjiang and other places. It is the most widely popular and influential flower-drum opera genre in Hunan. It developed from rural labor mountain songs, folk ditties, and local flower-drum performances (including flower-drum playing, ground flower-drum, and flower-drum lanterns), and has a history of more than 160 years, with continuous popular performances. Among its traditional repertoire are a large number of short plays and excerpted scenes, which are the most distinctive and representative pieces. Its main vocal style is "Chuandiao," adopted by most plays. Because the accompaniment uses silk and bamboo instruments, it is popularly called "Xianzi Qiang."
China's First Large-Scale Real-Scenery Musical — "Tianmen Fox Fairy — New Liu Hai Chops Wood"
With the fantastic peaks and perilous ravines of Zhangjiajie's Tianmen Mountain as the backdrop and the flying waterfalls and flowing springs of the canyon as music, on the evening of September 13, 2009, witnessed by nearly 3,000 domestic and international guests and journalists of the 2009 Hunan International Tourism Festival in rapt fascination, the world's first large-scale real-scenery musical Tianmen Fox Fairy—The trial performance of 'New Liu Hai Cuts Firewood' was a success. 'Tianmen Fox Fairy'—The New Liu Hai Chops Firewood is the world's first live landscape performance set against towering peaks as its stage backdrop and mountain gorges as its performance stage. It is also the world's first large-scale live landscape musical song-and-dance drama with a complete storyline. Drawing on the classic Chinese myth and the Hunan folk tale Liu Hai Chops Firewood, it incorporates rich musical and cultural elements and performance styles from around the world, complemented by modern high-tech stage special effects. It represents a successful innovation in world musical song-and-dance drama and stands as an epoch-making masterpiece of China's live landscape performances. The majestic and magnificent peaks and perilous ravines of Tianmen Mountain in Zhangjiajie, the cascading waterfalls and flowing springs in the canyons, the misty clouds and drifting smoke in the sky, and the forests, trees, flowers, and grasses on the mountain all became constituent elements of the stage design effects of the production, and also became unique resources for the production to achieve special artistic expressiveness and tremendous visual impact. The successful trial performance of the large-scale live landscape musical opened the prelude to Zhangjiajie Ethnic Culture Week, and also2009The Hunan International Tourism Festival added splendor.
Hunan's First Production to Win the National Stage Art Excellence Project Award — "Old Cousin Anecdotes"
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of reform and opening up and to showcase achievements in realistic-themed creation since the new era, the Literature and Art Bureau of the Central Propaganda Department and the Art Department of the Ministry of Culture jointly held at the National Centre for the Performing Arts the "National Excellent Realistic-Themed Productions Exhibition Commemorating the 30th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up." The large modern play "Old Cousin Anecdotes" from the Hunan Flower-Drum Opera Theater was invited by the Art Department of the Ministry of Culture to represent Hunan at this grand event. This artistic gem of Hunan Flower-Drum Opera bloomed for the first time on the splendid stage of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and Hunan sounds and Hunan rhymes resounded through the National Centre for the Performing Arts. "Old Cousin Anecdotes" was created based on the story of a relative of Comrade Mao Zedong. Through the very small matter of an old intellectual, Mao Zedong's direct cousin, seeking kinship and official position, it reflects the Chairman's great personality. Although the play depicts ordinary people and small matters, its plot structure flows like floating clouds and flowing water, smooth and satisfying, with unique material selection, rich ideological content, and strong practical significance. Since its premiere in 2002, it has won many provincial and national awards. In 2003, it won the first gold prize at the First Hunan Provincial Arts Festival. In 2004, at the Seventh China Arts Festival, it won China's highest stage art award — the Wenhua Grand Prize — as well as individual awards including the Wenhua Performance Award, Wenhua Director Award, Wenhua Music Creation Award, and Wenhua Playwriting Award. In 2005, it became a nominated production for the National Stage Art Excellence Project. In 2007, it won the Outstanding Production Award of the 10th "Five-One Project" of the Central Propaganda Department. It is an outstanding production deeply loved by audiences.