Hai Wencai - Representative Inheritor of Yi Epic Poem "King Alujuri" Project in Yuanmou County, Chuxiong 

Hai Wencai (born 1953) from Taiyangpo Village (太阳坡村), Nadi Village Committee (那迪村委会), Liangshan Township (凉山乡), Yuanmou County (元谋县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), is the provincial-level representative inheritor of the Yi epic Alu Jure (阿鲁举热).

His artistic journey spans the crucial period when this epic evolved from endangered oral heritage to systematic protection. As a descendant of a family of Bahaayi (巴哈阿依, Yi “epic singers”), he has dedicated more than 70 years to preserving and innovating the performance tradition, bringing Alu Jure from fireside storytelling to national cultural stages. He is widely celebrated as the “Epic Guardian of Xiao Liangshan” (小凉山的史诗守护者).

Family Heritage and Early Training

Born into a family of Yi epic singers, Hai Wencai grew up immersed in the cultural universe of Alu Jure.

• By age 13: He could perform the entire epic from memory.

• By 17: He was already leading the epic recitation during major Yi festivals such as the Torch Festival (火把节) and the Ten-Month Year Festival (十月年).

• By 20: He became the youngest local performer capable of improvising major episodes like Shooting the Sun (射日) and Slaying Demons (斩妖), while also mastering ritual procedures such as Dragon Worship (祭龙) and Sending Ancestors’ Souls (送祖灵).

His style blends the solemnity of bimo (毕摩, Yi priests) chanting with the liveliness of mountain folk songs—marked by deep, resonant tones, vibrato techniques, and descending pentatonic phrases that convey profound emotion.

In 1985, he won second prize at the Yunnan Provincial Folk Song and Dance Festival (云南省民族民间歌舞展演), marking the start of his professional artistic career.

Core Skills and Cultural Protection

A Living Standard of Epic Transmission

Hai Wencai preserved the epic’s authentic narrative and ritual framework:

• Textual Authenticity: He retained 12 core chapters such as Creation of Heaven and Earth (开天辟地) and The Great Flood (洪水创世). His unique throat-singing accompaniment and triple-meter rhythm were recognized in The Anthology of Chinese Folk Songs: Yunnan Volume (中国民间歌曲集成・云南卷) as a standard model of Yi epic performance.

• Ritual Integrity: He strictly follows the nine-step ritual—Inviting Spirits, Purification, Antiphonal Singing, Sending Spirits (请神—净身—对歌—送神). His ceremonies during Yi Worship Heaven and Earth (祭天地) rituals are considered a “living sample of Central Yunnan minority religious practices” by Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学).

Rescuing an Endangered Tradition

At a time when fewer than 10 elders could still perform Alu Jure, Hai Wencai led a systematic rescue effort:

• Field Research: He walked across 15 Yi villages in Yuanmou County (元谋县) and surrounding areas, collecting 12 endangered melodies such as The Flood Overwhelms the World (洪水滔天), and recorded 60 hours of original audio.

• Teaching by the Fireside: He established a “Night School of the Epic,” training more than 30 disciples. Thanks to this, Taiyangpo Village (太阳坡村) now has over 100 villagers able to perform the epic—up from fewer than 5.

Building a Transmission Network

Hai Wencai designed a three-level inheritance system:

• Family Transmission: His son is now the fifth-generation inheritor, capable of independently performing rituals like Honoring the Song God (祭歌神).

• Ritual Practice: He trains singers through large-scale events such as the Yi Angmatu Festival (昂玛突节), forming a stable team of 12 singers and 4 assistants.

• Community Training: He founded the “Hai Wencai Epic Training Center” (海文才史诗传习所), where disciples such as Zhu Wansui (朱万岁) can now lead performances of core segments like Songs of Joy (群歌欢腾).

Cultural Communication and Innovation

National Cultural Ambassador

• Recognition: In 2014, he was named a Provincial-Level Representative Inheritor of Intangible Cultural Heritage. His performances were featured on CCTV’s Homeland China (乡土中国).

• Awards: In 2019, he led his troupe to win the Bronze “Caiyun Award” (彩云奖) for Epic of Wumeng (乌蒙史诗).

• Academic Cooperation: In 2025, he collaborated with China University of Petroleum (中国石油大学北京) to integrate Alu Jure into interdisciplinary research and university heritage curricula.

Tourism and Festival Innovation

• Epic Festival: During the Yi Torch Festival (火把节), he organizes the Alu Jure Cultural Festival, featuring cross-cultural performances such as Yi-Han Harmony (彝汉同辉). Online broadcasts attract over 300,000 viewers annually.

• Immersive Tourism: At Yuanmou Earth Forest Scenic Area (元谋土林景区), he helped design an “Epic Immersive Experience Center,” where visitors can try Yi costumes, antiphonal singing, and stage rehearsals—drawing over 10,000 visitors per year.

Heritage Protection and Policy Practice

Systematic Protection

• Digital Archives: With Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学), he used 3D scanning to record 20 ritual movements, now available via VR teaching on the “Xuexi Qiangguo” (学习强国) platform.

• Re-staging Classics: He revived endangered plays such as The White Elephant Saves the Hero (白象救主) and The Deer’s Gratitude (马鹿报恩), enhanced with modern stage lighting and design.

Policy and Community Support

• Funding: Secured government heritage funds to build the Training Center and provide stipends for apprentices.

• Social Engagement: Founded the Alu Jure Lecture Troupe, blending heritage performance with policy storytelling. Their documentary Ethnic Unity, One Family (民族团结一家亲) received provincial awards.

Challenges and New Solutions

Despite achievements, Hai Wencai faces two challenges:

• Generational Gap: Training takes 10–15 years, but most disciples are over 40; few young successors remain.

• Market Limitations: Ritual performances attract limited audiences; cultural products bring low profits.

Innovative Approaches

• Digital Empowerment: Partnered with Huawei’s “Digital Intangible Heritage” project to launch VR teaching, with over 1.5 million views on “Xuexi Qiangguo.”

• Cross-Genre Fusion: Released the album New Rhythms of the Epic (史诗新韵), with the single Fireside Tales (火塘夜话) reaching 3 million views on Douyin (抖音).

• Youth Engagement: Opened weekend classes at Yuanmou Youth Activity Center (元谋县青少年活动中心), training over 120 children through games and role-play.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Hai Wencai’s work embodies three dimensions of cultural value:

• Historical Research: Preserved ancient Yi melodies and rituals provide rare “living samples” for the study of Central Yunnan society and religion.

• Social Cohesion: In multi-ethnic Yuanmou County (元谋县), Alu Jure fosters ethnic unity—his troupe includes Yi, Han, and Miao members, recognized as a “Yunnan Model Team for Ethnic Unity.”

• Educational Innovation: His “Traditional Skills + Modern Education” approach was listed by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism as a model case, now promoted in 16 prefectures across the province.

As Hai Wencai says:

“Alu Jure is not just chanting—it is the cultural DNA of the Yi people, carrying life from generation to generation.”

Through his balance of tradition and innovation, he has brought the Yi creation epic from village firesides to national and international stages—adding a vibrant chapter to the mosaic of Chinese civilization.