Fang Guisheng - Representative Inheritor of Yi Creation Myths "Cha Mu" Project in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong 

Fang Guisheng (born August 1950), from Xiamoshefa Village (下莫且法村), Dameidi Town (大麦地镇), Shuangbai County (双柏县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), is the national-level representative inheritor of the Yi creation epic Chamu (查姆).

As the fifth-generation successor of a Bimo (毕摩, Yi priest-scholar) family, his artistic journey spans the crucial period when this central Yunnan epic transitioned from endangerment to systematic preservation. With more than 70 years of dedication and innovation, he has brought Chamu from firepit storytelling into national cultural stages, earning the title “Guardian of the Yi Genealogy.”

Family Heritage and Early Training

Born into a traditional Bimo family, Fang was immersed in epic culture from childhood.

• At 7 years old, he began learning Yi script from his father.

• In 1978, he formally apprenticed under Master Shi Xueyi (施学义), studying classical Yi texts, funeral rituals, and Bimo scriptures.

• By 28, he could fully perform core chapters of Chamu such as The Creation of Heaven and Earth and The Great Flood, while mastering rituals like “Sacrificing to Heaven and Earth” (祭天地) and “Sending the Ancestors’ Spirits” (送祖灵).

His chanting combines the solemnity of Bimo recitation with the liveliness of mountain folk songs, marked by a resonant voice, improvisational flair, and rich emotional depth conveyed through vibrato techniques and descending pentatonic scales.

In 1983, he joined the Chuxiong Yi Culture Research Institute in the translation of Chamu, marking the start of his professional career.

Core Skills and Cultural Preservation

A Living Example of Epic Tradition

• Textual Authenticity: He preserves both the Wucha (吾查, Upper Volume) and Maicha (买查, Lower Volume), covering 12 major “Cha” (chapters), including cosmology and human evolution (from the “Single-Eyed Era” to the “Horizontal-Eyed Era”). His throat-singing and triple-meter rhythm are recognized in The Collection of Chinese Folk Songs – Yunnan Volume as the standard Yi epic form.

• Ritual Integrity: Fang strictly follows the nine-step ritual sequence—“Inviting Deities – Purification – Antiphonal Singing – Sending Deities.” His Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth ceremony has been documented by Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学) as a “living ritual sample” of central Yunnan’s indigenous religions.

Rescuing an Endangered Epic

When fewer than 10 elders could sing Chamu in full, Fang led its revival:

• Field Research: He trekked across 15 Yi villages in Shuangbai (双柏县) and nearby areas, collecting endangered chants such as Apu Dumu (阿普笃慕) and The Great Flood (洪水滔天), recording over 60 hours of original audio.

• Text Reconstruction: After 10 years of work, he completed a translation of Chamu into 1.2 million words of modern Chinese poetry, making this Yi “encyclopedia” accessible in its entirety for the first time.

Building a Multi-Layered Transmission System

• Family Lineage: His son Fang Guixing (方贵兴), the sixth-generation successor, can now independently perform key rituals such as “Sacrificing to the Mountain God” (祭山神).

• Ritual Practice: By leading annual events such as “Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth” (祭天地) and the Torch Festival (火把节), he has formed a troupe of 12 singers and 4 assistants.

• Community Teaching: He established a Chamu Training Center (《查姆》传习所) in his own home, using the traditional firepit teaching method to mentor over 30 disciples. His chief apprentice Shi Wengui (施文贵) can now independently perform works like Songs of Joy.

Cultural Promotion and Innovation

A National Cultural Ambassador

• Recognition: In 2008, he was selected as a national intangible cultural heritage representative inheritor. His performances have been featured on CCTV’s Homeland China.

• Awards: In 2019, his troupe’s Epic of Wumeng (乌蒙史诗) won the “Caiyun Bronze Award,” and Fang himself received “Best Performance.”

• Digital Innovation: In 2025, with Yunnan Minzu University, he co-created a digital AR version of Chamu, which gained over 1.5 million views on the “Xuexi Qiangguo” platform.

Integrating Tradition with Tourism

• Festivals: Each year during the Torch Festival (火把节), he organizes the Chamu Cultural Festival, blending traditional epic with cross-cultural performances, attracting over 300,000 online viewers.

• Tourist Experience: At Chamu Lake Scenic Area (查姆湖景区) in Shuangbai County, he designed an immersive epic center, where visitors can try Yi costumes, antiphonal singing, and short performances—engaging over 10,000 participants annually and boosting local incomes.

Intangible Heritage Protection

Systematic Safeguarding

• Digital Archives: With Yunnan Minzu University, Fang created 3D-scanned archives of 20 core ritual movements and developed a VR-based Chamu teaching system.

• Reviving Performances: He has restaged endangered epics such as The White Elephant’s Rescue (白象救主) and The Deer’s Gratitude (马鹿报恩), enhanced with modern stage design.

Policy and Social Support

• Funding: Secured provincial heritage funds for recording equipment and apprentice stipends.

• Innovation: Founded the Chamu Propagation Troupe, which integrates Party policies into traditional singing. Their documentary Ethnic Unity as One Family (民族团结一家亲) was honored by Yunnan’s Department of Culture.

Challenges and New Pathways

Despite his achievements, Fang faces two challenges:

• Generational Gap: Epic training takes 10–15 years and requires mastery of ancient Yi chants. Currently, the average age of his apprentices is 42, with only 3 under 30.

• Market Limitations: Ritual-based performances have a narrow audience; cultural products are popular but yield little profit.

To overcome this, he explores:

1. Digital Innovation: Developing a VR-based Chamu teaching system with Huawei’s “Digital Intangible Heritage” project.

2. Cross-Genre Music: Releasing Epic New Rhythms, a fusion album. Its single Firepit Night Talk (火塘夜话) has over 3 million plays on Douyin.

3. Youth Engagement: Running weekend training programs at Shuangbai County Youth Center (双柏县青少年活动中心), with more than 120 students trained.

Cultural Significance

Fang Guisheng’s work holds three major values:

• Historical Research: His preserved chants and rituals provide living samples for studying Yi society and early religion in central Yunnan.

• Community Identity: In multi-ethnic Shuangbai County (双柏县), Chamu strengthens unity. His troupe includes Yi, Han, and Miao members, and was named a “Demonstration Team for Ethnic Solidarity in Yunnan.”

• Educational Innovation: His “Traditional Skills + Modern Education” model has been promoted across all 16 prefectures of Yunnan.

As Fang himself says: “Chamu is not just a chant—it is the eternal cultural gene of the Yi people.”
Balancing tradition and innovation, Fang has brought this epic from the mountain fireside to the global stage, making Chamu a vivid expression of China’s diverse yet unified civilization.