Wenshui mangzi

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Wenshui cuanzi

Applicant: Wenshui County, Shanxi Province

Project No.: 95

Project No.: Ⅱ - 64

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Shanxi Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Wenshui County, Shanxi Province

Protected by: Wenshui Fuzi Art Research Association

Brief introduction of Wenshui juozi

Applicant: Wenshui County, Shanxi Province

Wenshui cuzi is a unique folk music spread in Wenshui County. It is also called Yuecun cuzi because it originated from and mainly spread in Yuecun. Yuecun village of Wenshui County is located beside the Guguan road at the foot of Luliang Mountain and on the western edge of Taiyuan Basin. There are two reasons why the local people call this kind of folk music "cuzi": first, it is called "cuzi" because of its unique playing instrument cymbal; second, it is named because of the sound "cuzi" produced by beating cymbals. "Yuecunzhuzi" originates from praying for rain and is closely related to the local people's production mode and living customs.

According to the oral materials, the music of Yuecun Juezi was originally spread as a local ritual music for praying for rain. Due to the unique status of rain praying ceremony in local people's production and life, on the one hand, along with the inheritance of rain praying culture from generation to generation, and being used as sacrificial music by local people, it keeps its solemnity as ritual music; on the other hand, it gradually combines with people's living customs and becomes the ceremonial music for welcoming gods and guests.

The musical instruments used in Juzi music include small cymbals, big cymbals, big cymbals and big drums (Leigong drums). Because of the different combinations of musical instruments, unique percussion methods and playing postures, Juzi music presents a unique sound effect. After excavation and collation, the music of "Zhuozi" now has such repertoire as Lei Gong's lightning, dark clouds rolling, rain pouring, happy harvest and so on. The local people refer to the formation changes when performing the sub music with "array", including "two dragons coming out of the water", "two dragons playing with pearls" and other mobile formations, and "square array", "Diamond array" and other fixed formations, which are very consistent with the content of praying for rain.

After the founding of the people's Republic of China, Yuecun Zhuozi was widely used and endowed with new connotation. It became a popular folk art form in the local area. Its influence gradually expanded from Yuecun to the whole Wenshui County and became "Wenshui Zhuozi". After many years of restoration and arrangement, Wenshui Juezi music has participated in national competitions for many times and won many awards. It is known as "a masterpiece of gongs and drums in the three Jin Dynasty" and has become a famous brand of Traditional Arts in Wenshui County.

Vzi has a strong loess style. Its style is bold, bold, bold, simple and heavy. It is the epitome of ancient Chinese working people's sacrifice and praying for rain culture and inherits the essence of Chinese farming culture.