Music of Zhihua Temple

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Zhihua Sijing music

Applicant: Beijing

Item No.: 96

Project No.: Ⅱ - 65

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Beijing

Type: new item

Applicant: Beijing

Protection unit: Beijing Cultural Exchange Museum (Beijing Zhihua Temple Management Office)

Brief introduction of Zhihua Sijing music

Applicant: Beijing

Zhihua temple in Beijing was first built in 1444, the ninth year of Zhengtong in Ming Dynasty. It was built by Wang Zhen, the eunuch of Si Li during the reign of emperor Yingzong of Ming Dynasty. In 1961, it was listed as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council. Zhihua Sijing music has been handed down for more than 560 years, known as the "living fossil" of ancient Chinese music.

Zhihua Sijing music has distinct artistic features: solemn, simple and elegant music style, large and standard structure, rich performance techniques and huge repertoire. It has very high requirements in the aspect of inheritance. It does not add, delete and change at will, and pays attention to the protection of inheritance. Zhihua Sijing music faithfully preserves the basic features of Chinese traditional music, and provides a typical vivid example for the study of the connotation and changes of Chinese traditional culture. From the existing data, most scholars believe that Beijing music is related to Tang and song ancient music. It preserves the old song and Ming system in many aspects, such as repertoire, musical instruments, Gong Diao and playing methods. The traditional repertoire includes xiqiufeng, naswan, qingjiangyin, meihuayin, xiaohuayan, zuiwongzi, etc. Since the 1950s, many famous musicians in China have made great achievements in the study of Zhihua Sijing music.

Zhihua Sijing music has been excavated and rescued by the government, musicians and Buddhists since the 1980s, but there are still many problems that are difficult to solve. Most of the 26 generations of old monks in Zhihua temple have passed away. At present, Benxing and Fuguang, who are still alive, are old, and the 27 generations need to improve their skills. Great changes in the current society make the development of Zhihua Sijing music difficult. In the past two years, with the efforts of many parties, we have recorded 45 pieces of music in time. However, the number of heirs of Zhihua Sijing music is still very short, the band can not reach the original scale, the timbre and content level is single, far from showing the style of the original ancient music.

Zhihua Sijing music is still in danger of being lost, which needs further rescue and protection.