Zhanglan, inheritor of Changde string music
2024-07-31
It is performed with string instruments such as yangqin, pipa, sanxian, and huqin accompanied, and sung in the Changde dialect. It’s not only an art form but also a cultural inheritance. It carries the historical memory of the Changde people, showcases their ways of life, and conveys their emotions and ideals.
The Changde Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition and Performance Hall, located in an ancient theatre of Hejie Street, is now the largest one of its kind in Hunan Province with intangible cultural heritage such as opera, folk art, and skill study as content, and a theater as the main body. It has a typical ancient Chinese theater structure. Themed performances and exhibitions of intangible cultural heritage are held here, including Changde Han Opera, string music, fishing drums, Jinghe Opera, embroidery, Lei Cha, and flax linen paintings.
Zhang Lan graduated from the Department of Music of Hunan University of Arts and Sciences in June 2013 and is now a master’s student at Hunan Normal University. In November 2015, she served as a mass cultural specialist at the Wuling District Cultural Center.
When studying vocal music at the Hunan University of Arts and Sciences in 2008, she heard a song at a rehearsal for the Peach Blossom Festival. Its melody was sometimes delicate and lyrical, and sometimes majestic and grand, making her exciting. She learned that the song integrates the local characteristic Changde string music, and thus developed a strong interest in this art form.
In 2009, Zhang Lan participated in a Hunan song competition in Changde City and reached the finals, attracting the attention of Chen Xiaohui, a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Changde string music, who asked her if she was willing to learn Changde string music. Zhang Lan, who had just turned 20 years old, was extremely happy. The next day, she came to the Wuling District Cultural Center to learn Changde string music from Chen Xiaohui.
Chen Xiaohui said, “Changde string music is sung in dialect. If you want to learn it, you must speak less Mandarin and learn more Changde dialect.” Zhang Lan is not a native of Changde City. From then on, she imitated her local classmates in speaking Changde dialect every day. Changde dialect is a northern language family that sounds good and is easy to be understood, but for her, it’s still a bit difficult to learn.
Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. Zhang Lan spoke Changde dialect better and better by studying hard, gaining recognition from Chen Xiaohui.
Nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. Zhang Lan spoke Changde dialect better and better by studying hard, gaining recognition from Chen Xiaohui.
As a national-level inheritor of Changde string music, Chen Xiaohui is a student of Dai Wangben, a veteran artist of Changde string music, in the early 1970s and received strict and systematic professional training. She has been engaged in literary and artistic work for 36 years and has cultivated a large number of talented artists.
In order to popularize Changde string music among more people, and cultivate new inheritors, Zhang Lan compiled Changde string music textbooks with teachers from Beizheng Street Primary School. String music classes were opened in multiple primary schools. Besides, they taught students to learn instruments such as erhu, pipa, and yangqin for free.
In 2018, the string music program “Honesty brings happiness”, produced by Wuling Cultural Center and performed by children learning string music in those primary schools, participated in the National Children’s Quyi Performance.
Zhang Lan has put the people first in her creation and performance over many years. She has participated in more than 80 public welfare performances like the provincial mass cultural and artistic performance. She, together with her colleagues, has promoted the Changde string music with a profound cultural foundation across the city.
She has performed and taught Changde string music for 11 years, and has achieved excellent results in various competitions. The excellent program “Love in Hunan” was staged at the 10th China Quyi Festival. The “New Compiled Stories” won the gold medal in the Hunan (Hengyang) Traditional Quyi Invitational Tournament.
In order to promote Changde string music, Zhang Lan has seized every opportunity to spread this excellent folk art at home and abroad. She presented Changde string music on CCTV, participated in the 8th Central China Quyi Performance, and attended the special literary and artistic performance themed “Love in Hunan”. This year, Changde string music was showcased at the Second China-ASEAN Intangible Cultural Heritage Week, warmly welcomed by the local people.
In the future, Zhang Lan will remain true to her original aspiration and insist on promoting the Changde string music.
