Buddhist Music (flower rack music of Ta'er Temple)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Buddhist music

Applicant: Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province

Item No.: 637

Project No.: Ⅱ - 138

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Qinghai Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province

Protection unit: Management Committee of Ta'er temple, Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province

Introduction to Buddhist Music (flower rack music of Ta'er Temple)

Applicant: Huangzhong County, Qinghai Province

Ta'er temple is the holy land of Tibetan Buddhism. It is one of the six temples of Gelug Sect. The butter flower, mural and embroidery of Ta'er temple are known as the "three wonders of Tibetan art". The flower rack music of Ta'er temple is specially for the production and exhibition of butter flower. Ta'er temple has upper and lower butter flower houses specially for making butter flower. The "flower rack" band is a monk band specially set up for the production and exhibition of butter flower. There are two bands, jiezong zengza belonging to upper flower house and guomangzengza belonging to lower flower house. It is the only band in Tibetan Buddhist temples in Qinghai. It has a history of more than 600 years since the establishment of the temple.

Every year from October to December of the lunar calendar, during the three-month production process of butter flower, the two bands play relevant music for each important production link of their own butter flower courtyard. During the praying ceremony from the 8th to the 17th of the first month, the performance of flower rack music reached a climax on the evening of the 15th.

Before the "Cultural Revolution", the band often played music with the temple guard of honor band to welcome and see off the eminent monk Dade. At its peak, Huajia band had more than 40 members and more than 30 pieces of music. At present, only 13 pieces of music can be memorized by monks, and only 19 monks can play flute, Guanzi, Jiuyun Gong, Sheng and other musical instruments. At present, there are 19 monks in the flower rack band of Ta'er temple. With the death of the old monk, he is faced with the situation of "the death of man and the extinction of art". No one can play the small suona, the ancient Sheng, the plucked string and other musical instruments, and many music are on the verge of extinction, which needs to be protected.