Taoist music (Laoshan Taoist Music)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Taoist music (Laoshan Taoist Music)

Applicant: Laoshan District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province

Item No.: 638

Project No.: Ⅱ - 139

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Shandong Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Laoshan District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province

Protected by: Taiqing palace, Laoshan, Qingdao

Introduction to Taoist music (Laoshan Taoist Music)

Applicant: Laoshan District, Qingdao City, Shandong Province

Taoist music, also known as "Daochang music", is the music used in Taoist religious activities. Like Taoism, it originated from the sacrificial songs and dances of ancient witches. Taoist music consists of two parts: instrumental music and vocal music. Instrumental music is mainly composed of bell, chime, drum, wooden fish, cloud Gong and other instruments, with wind, plucking, string pulling and other instruments. Vocal music is mainly composed of chanting, which is composed of Gaogong master's recitation of vows, praise of God, chanting of the table, the confession of all preachers and the chorus of all Taoists.

Laoshan Taoist music is mainly spread in more than 120 temples in Laoshan area, Qingdao City, Shandong Province. According to the geographical location, it can be divided into two major performing schools: "neishan school" and "waishan school". Laoshan Taoist music has a long history. In the course of 1500 years' historical development from the northern and Southern Dynasties to the present, it has absorbed the artistic factors of Taoist music, Qin music, folk music, Jiangnan music and so on, forming its own natural style of simple form and far meaning, elegant and light.

Laoshan Taoism belongs to the northern Quanzhen school, so its music mainly adopts Quanzhen rhyme. At the same time, it combines with the local language and folk music in Shandong area, showing distinctive local characteristics in singing style, spinning characteristics and structural form, forming the famous Taoist "Laoshan rhyme".

Laoshan Taoist music can be divided into Jingyun music and instrumental music. Among them, Jingyun music can be divided into Diantan Jingyun and Yingfeng Jingyun. Its forms of expression include chanting, reciting, reciting, etc. the intonation of chanting music is beautiful, including Bu Xu, hang, Da Zan, Xiao Zan and other representative works. Reciting music has little ups and downs, like reciting and singing In the morning and evening homework; recitation music is mainly used for "relief" and other ceremonies. Instrumental music, represented by Yingfeng music and guqin music, can also be divided into two categories: one is "Zhengqu", which is used for the fasting ceremony in the inner and outer altar; the other is "shuaqu", which is usually played before the beginning of the fasting ceremony and plays a role in regulating the atmosphere. The representative works of Laoshan Taoist music include Li hen Tian and Liu Wen Qing Tian.

Laoshan Taoist music retains the legacy of classical music in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which is of great musicology research value. At present, the gradual weakening of traditional folk customs and the continuous reduction of ritual activities make the living space of Laoshan Taoist music shrinking. At the same time, the inheritance of its performance skills is also in crisis. It is necessary to make reasonable planning to protect this ancient religious music in time.