Chaozhou Music

Introduction

The gong-and-drum bands and string music of eastern Guangdong, in their own notation

Chaozhou music is the collective name for the folk instrumental music of the Chaoshan area of eastern Guangdong, centred on Chaozhou; its most local instruments are the erxian fiddle, the suona and the large shenbo gong, and it is written in its own ersi notation. Open-air genres include the great and small gong-and-drum bands and waijiang gong-and-drum music, while chamber genres include the flute suites, string music (xianshi), fine music (xiyue) and temple music. Drawing on local songs and on Yiyang, Kun, Han and other tunes, it matured in the Ming and Qing. In the neighbouring Hakka districts, Guangdong Han music, led by the touxian fiddle, forms a sister tradition; both were listed nationally in 2006.

Timeline

1. 1500OriginTracing its roots to the Tang and Song, Chaozhou music matured in the Ming and Qing into parallel gong-and-drum and string genres; Guangdong Han music has been played at Dapu for more than five hundred years.
2. 1750EvolutionIn the Qing it absorbed Yiyang, Kun, Qin and Han tunes from outside, while the Hakka districts formed Guangdong Han music in five branches: string music, qingyue, great gong-and-drum music, zhongjun band music and temple music.
3. 2006ImpactIn 2006 Chaozhou music (II-50, Chaozhou and Shantou) and Guangdong Han music (II-51, Dapu) were both listed in the first national batch.

Heritage Listings

1. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · II-50 Chaozhou music · no. 81 · nominated by Chaozhou and Shantou · Guangdong
2. 2006National List of Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage1st batch · II-51 Guangdong Han music · no. 82 · nominated by Dapu County · Guangdong · safeguarding body Dapu County Cultural Centre