Question from East to West | Huang Xiaofeng, Xiao Feige: Look at the traces of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries from the musical and dance relics of Bashu
China news agency, Chengdu, May 18, Topic: Huang Xiaofeng, Xiao Feige: Look at traces of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries from Bashu musical and dance relics
China News Agency reporter Yue Yitong
The bronze bell of Sanxingdui, the tiger button drumbeats (ch ú n) ringing at it, the figurines of music and dance in different shapes, and the bricks and stones with rich portraits... The ancient rhymes and modern sounds, as well as the music and dance relics of various types and shapes, still echo the melody of history today.As an important site of the Silk Road, the music and dance relics unearthed in Bashu not only show the optimistic and comfortable spirit of the ancestors, but also witness the cultural exchange and integration.
On May 18, the International Museum Day, China News Service interviewed Huang Xiaofeng, deputy curator of Chengdu Museum, and Xiao Feige, deputy curator of Chengdu Museum of Fine Arts, to see the cultural exchange context behind Bashu music and dance relics spanning thousands of years.
The interview is summarized as follows:
China News Service: What cultural characteristics do Bashu music and dance show in different times?What kind of spiritual core does it reflect?
Huang Xiaofeng: Music and dance relics have been unearthed in all periods of Bashu. Music and dance accompany people's life all the time.During the Shang and Zhou Dynasties, the representative artifacts such as bronze bells and stone chimes mainly served the sacrificial rites.After the Qin Dynasty merged with Bashu, the music and dance culture gradually penetrated into people's lives and continued to enrich and develop, appearing in more life scenes.The music and dance culture in Bashu shows obvious local characteristics, reflecting the optimistic and comfortable life attitude of the people.For example, the pottery haiku figurines of the Eastern Han Dynasty (often called "talking and singing figurines") unearthed in Chengdu, stretched out their tongues and laughed, and their exaggerated posture and expression were extremely infectious.In fact, from the Tang Dynasty to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Chengdu's music and dance were very prosperous, which can be seen from the famous lines of Du Fu, the "Sage of Poetry", such as "bustling and famous city, playing flute", "Jincheng silk tube is in succession, half into the river wind and half into the cloud".
The pottery haiku figurines of the Eastern Han Dynasty (often called "talking and singing figurines").Photographed by China News Agency reporter Yue Yitong
Xiao Feige: The ancients said that "enough food and clothing will lead to the prosperity of etiquette and righteousness". Art and culture are a reflection of social and economic life.In the pre Qin period, the music and dance culture in Bashu area was more personalized, reflecting the spiritual vitality of all things and the unrestrained sense of unrestrained.Up to the Han Dynasty, the Bashu music and dance culture had more exchanges with the Central Plains and even the Western Regions, and the folk flavor became increasingly strong, and more showed a relaxed and playful state.In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the music and dance culture of Bashu and the Central Plains were more closely integrated, revealing more cultural atmosphere and rhyme.In general, the political situation in Bashu region has been relatively stable since ancient times, and the economy has also been relatively developed. The optimistic attitude of the people to life is also reflected in cultural patterns, including music and dance.
China News Service: How did the musical and dance relics witness the cultural exchanges between Bashu and Central Plains in ancient times?
Huang Xiaofeng: After the Qin Dynasty merged with Bashu, a large number of immigrants entered the region, which promoted closer ties and more frequent exchanges between Bashu and the Central Plains.Take the Han Dynasty, where the style of music and dance was flourishing, for example, music and dance in the Han Dynasty gradually got rid of the shackles of "ritual music" and presented more diverse forms. The richness and diversity of urban singing, dancing and banquet scenes also greatly promoted the development of music and dance.
The "Drum Dance Figurine" in Chengdu Museum.Photographed by China News Agency reporter Yue Yitong
At that time, "Pan Drum Dance" was widely popular.This kind of dance takes the plate and drum as the basic dance equipment, and the dancers dance on the treadplate according to the beat of the drum.The dance scene is vividly presented by the "Seven Plate Female Dance Figurine" in Luoyang Museum, similar to the "Drum Dance Figurine" in Chengdu Museum and the "Seven Plate Dance Portrait Brick" in Sichuan Museum.The dancers' costumes, props and dance patterns presented on the three cultural relics are very similar, which shows a phenomenon of mutual communication and convergence of music and dance cultures at that time.
In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty successively went to Sichuan to avoid chaos, and brought a large number of court musicians to Sichuan, so that the rich Yan music of the Tang Dynasty was well preserved and continued in Sichuan, and also promoted the cultural exchange of music and dance between Sichuan and the Central Plains.According to the Zizhi Tongjian, "At that time, most of the people in uniform in the Tang Dynasty stayed away from chaos in Sichuan, and the Shu leader used them for ritual purposes, so that their ancient books and cultural relics had the legacy of the Tang Dynasty." The stone relief of "twenty-four dance music" on the coffin bed of Wang Jianyong, the former founding emperor of the Shu Dynasty, showed the magnificent scene of Yan music in the late Tang Dynasty.
China News Service reporter: What evidence of the "symphony" of Chinese and foreign music and dance culture can be found through the Bashu music and dance relics?
Xiao Feige: Take the image of Jialing Pinga (a kind of divine bird in the Buddhist world, often called "wonderful sound bird") with human head and bird body as an example. Musical and dance relics containing this element have been found in many places in China, including Bashu.But in fact, the image of Kalingpinga comes from the siren in Greek mythology. After it was introduced to India, it was combined with Buddhist culture. The originally vicious image was gradually softened, and then it was introduced to China with Buddhist culture, and became more beautiful when it was combined with Chinese traditional culture.
Another example is a brick portrait of the Eastern Han Dynasty camel dance unearthed in Xindu District, Chengdu. A Hu man kneels on a camel, swinging his sleeve and hitting a drum, which shows that Bashu had carried out cultural exchanges of music and dance with the Western Regions through the Silk Road at that time.Camel dance themed cultural relics have been found in many places in China. Behind each cultural relic, there is a clear chain of cultural communication and exchange.
Huang Xiaofeng: The "24 Jiyue" in Yongling, Chengdu, which belongs to the "Zuobu Jiyue" system, is a very typical example."Twenty four Jiyue" is a court band of Houshu, consisting of two dancers and 22 musicians.There are as many as 20 kinds of musical instruments, including five traditional instruments of Han nationality, such as chi, panpipe, sheng, flute and zheng, as well as 15 foreign instruments, such as quxiang pipa, vertical harp, spiral shell, tambourine, cymbals and clappers, which shows the deepening of cultural exchanges between Bashu and western regions in music and dance at that time.
This kind of communication is not only reflected in the palace.As a "paradise in troubled times" in the post Shu period, it is not uncommon for Chengdu to support domestic music and dance bands, which is also a reflection of the comfortable life of the aristocrats at that time.For example, among the unearthed artifacts from the tomb of Zhao Tingyin, the founder of the late Shu Dynasty, on display in the Chengdu Museum, there is also a "band" of terracotta figures with vivid expressions and actions and performing their own duties. The musical instruments played are also Han and Hu.
In addition, a female dance figurine with painted pottery corolla was unearthed from Zhao Tingyin's tomb. From the perspective of body shape and dress, the dance figurine represents the Zhe (zh è) branch dance.This kind of dance and Hu Xuan dance were both introduced into the Central Plains from the Western Regions and were very popular.This pottery figurine was unearthed in Chengdu, indicating that Zhezhi dance was also loved by the ancestors of Bashu.There are many traces of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries that can be found on the musical and dance relics. This exchange occurred naturally in the context of the Silk Road promoting trade and cultural exchanges.
Painted pottery flower corolla female dance figurine performing Zhezhi dance.Photographed by China News Agency reporter Yue Yitong
China News Service reporter: Why is Bashu and even Chinese music and dance culture still vibrant over the millennia and still an important carrier of cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries?
Huang Xiaofeng: The Chinese civilization has a long history and is enduring. The key lies in the power of inheritance and innovation, which is also the key to the vitality of music and dance culture.Both the ancient music restored by modern means and the dance restored by murals are artistic creations born on this vast land. From ancient times to the present and even in the future, these cultures themselves are the best carriers of Sino foreign exchanges.
Xiao Feige: Art, including music and dance, is actually the best carrier in cross-cultural communication, because it can transcend language restrictions, more easily transcend personality, form commonalities, and hit people directly.As an important branch of Chinese traditional culture, music and dance culture, after thousands of years of precipitation and development, has become more distinctive in its personality characteristics, which itself will make the audience refreshing.I think one of the key reasons why Chinese civilization is still attractive and vibrant is that it is constantly integrated with the development of the times.
Although cultural exchange has always been accompanied by economic exchanges, it is by no means an abstract concept and will eventually fall on interpersonal exchanges.Culture "going out" is an inevitable trend, and in the process of communication, culture itself will also achieve redevelopment.Today, the profound historical and cultural heritage is interpreted in a modern way, which can not only produce a strong visual tension, but also enable Chinese traditional culture to better "go global".For example, the "revived" "24 Jiyue", and the Chinese traditional musical instruments that are moving towards the international stage, all tell new stories through innovative communication languages and means.(End)
Interviewee Profile:
Huang Xiaofeng, deputy curator of Chengdu Museum, received an exclusive interview with reporters from China News Service.Photographed by Zhang Lang, a reporter from China News Service
Huang Xiaofeng, Chief Curator and Deputy Curator of Chengdu Museum, Doctor of History, and Librarian of Cultural and Museum Studies.Vice chairman of the Urban Museum Professional Committee of the China Museum Association, director of the China Ancient Ceramic Society, and chairman of the Display Professional Committee of the Chengdu Museum Association.In 2009, he began to participate in the construction of the new Chengdu Museum, and led the planning of the exhibition content of "Huazhong Jinguan City - Chengdu Historical and Cultural Exhibition - Ancient Chapter", which won the award of the 16th National Museum Top Ten Exhibition Boutique Recommended Boutique.
Xiao Feige, deputy curator of Chengdu Art Museum, received an exclusive interview with reporters from China News Service.Photographed by Zhang Lang, a reporter from China News Service
Xiao Feige, deputy curator, curator and cultural museum research librarian of Chengdu Art Museum.He has successively worked in Ullens Art Center, Jinsha Site Museum, Chengdu Museum and other institutions.In 2021, he served as the deputy curator of Chengdu Art Museum, participated in the opening and operation of the new museum of Chengdu Art Museum, and successfully planned and held the 2021 Chengdu Biennale, 2023 Chengdu Biennale and other large-scale international comprehensive exhibitions.
