Li Weibing - Representative Inheritor of  Yi Left Leg Dance Project in Mouding County, Chuxiong

Li Weibing (born 1971) is a provincial-level representative inheritor of the Yi Zuojiao Dance (彝族左脚舞) from Qingshuihe Village (清水河村), Qinghe Township (共和镇), Mouding County (牟定县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province.
As the third-generation heir of his family’s horn-making tradition, Li has spent over 50 years innovating and preserving the craft of the Guoshan Horn (过山号)—the signature instrument of Yi Zuojiao Dance. Known as the “Guardian of the Bronze Horn in the Depths of the Ailao Mountains (哀牢山深处的铜号守护者)”, he has elevated this tradition from local ritual use to national recognition.

Family Heritage and Artistic Enlightenment

Li was born into a Yi family renowned for Guoshan Horn craftsmanship. Immersed in Zuojiao Dance culture from childhood, he began formal apprenticeship at age 15 under his father’s guidance.

After a decade of intensive training, he mastered 11 stages of horn-making, including bamboo frame weaving and cotton-linen painting techniques that give each horn its unique sound and aesthetic.

His horns, known for stable pitch and ancient elegance, were designated as the standard instruments for Mouding’s Zuojiao Dance from the 1960s through the 1990s, and were widely sought after across Yunnan and beyond. In 2008, his “Bronze Guoshan Horn” won the Silver Award at the Yunnan Provincial Folk Handicraft Competition, marking the start of his professional career.

Core Skills and Artistic Breakthroughs

Living Guardian of Traditional Craft

• Ritual Protocols: Li follows the nine traditional stages of horn-making, from “Selecting Bamboo” to “Tuning” and “Painting”. Each horn takes 45 days to complete. During the “Worship Bamboo God” ritual, held on the first day of the lunar month, he chants the Yi ballad “Soul of Bamboo” (《竹魂》) to bless the instrument.

• Acoustic Innovation: By adjusting bore diameters and reed thickness, he created the “Three-Chamber Resonance System”, expanding the horn’s range across three octaves. Its sound can mimic the roar of tigers, the crash of waterfalls, or the melody of birds. This innovation was included in the Encyclopedia of Chinese Ethnic Instruments: Yunnan Volume (《中国民族乐器集成・云南卷》).

Innovator of Modern Performance

Li broke the convention of horns being used only for rituals. He composed works like “Guoshan Horn Rhapsody” and “Yi Mountain Drum Rhythm”, blending the horn with electronic music.

• In “Songs of Border Trade” (《边贸欢歌》), he combined horn tremolo with modern beats, earning the Best Innovation Award at the 2019 Chuxiong New Drama Showcase.

• He pioneered the “Human-Horn Fusion” technique, where performers dance Zuojiao while playing the horn, merging rhythm and movement into one.

A Three-Dimensional Inheritance Network

• Family Lineage: His eldest daughter, Li Haiyan (李海燕), now independently handles tuning and painting, becoming the fourth-generation inheritor.

• Campus Education: He has taught horn-making at Qinghe Township Central Primary School, transforming traditional craft into local curriculum. His “Horn Rhythm Exercise” has trained over 80 young inheritors.

• Community Transmission: At the “Li Weibing Guoshan Horn Training Center” (李卫兵过山号传习所) in Qingshuihe Village, he uses the “Firepit Teaching Method”. More than 20 apprentices have been trained, including Luo Youfu (罗有富), who now performs lead roles in major pieces like “Thunder of the Bronze Horn” (《铜号震天》).

Cultural Promotion and Contemporary Innovation

National-Level Cultural Ambassador

• Recognition: In 2017, Li was recognized as a Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor. One of his horns was permanently collected by the China National Museum of Ethnology. His teaching videos have gained over 1 million views on Douyin (TikTok China).

• Awards: In 2019, his troupe’s performance “Beacon of Baicaoling” (《百草岭烽火》) won the Silver Caiyun Award (彩云奖), and Li personally received the Best Instrumentalist Award.

Innovator in Cultural Tourism

• Tourism Integration: Designed the “Guoshan Horn Immersive Experience Center” at Zixi Mountain (紫溪山) Scenic Area, where tourists can carve bamboo, tune reeds, and try simple songs. The program attracts over 10,000 visitors annually, boosting villagers’ incomes by 600 RMB each.

• Festival Empowerment: At the Yi Torch Festival (彝族火把节), he organizes the “Qinghe Guoshan Horn Cultural Festival”. His cross-cultural performance “Harmony of Yi and Han” (《彝汉同辉》) drew 200,000+ online viewers.

Intangible Heritage Protection and Policy Practice

Systematic Safeguarding

• Digital Archiving: In collaboration with Yunnan Minzu University, Li has created 3D scans of horn-making processes, developing a VR teaching system launched on the “Xuexi Qiangguo” (学习强国) platform.

• Repertoire Revival: Restaged endangered traditional plays like “Dou Yi Takes the Exam” (《窦仪下科》) and “Burning of the Mill” (《火烧磨房》), enhanced with modern stagecraft.

Policy and Community Synergy

• Funding: Secured provincial ICH protection funds for building training centers and supporting apprentices with monthly stipends.

• Innovative Mechanisms: Founded the “Huashan Guoshan Horn Cultural Troupe” (花山过山号宣讲团), blending horn performances with policy education. Their documentary “Carrying the National Emblem into Yi Villages” (《背着国徽进彝寨》) was recognized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture.

Challenges and New Pathways

Despite his achievements, Li faces two major challenges:

1. Generational Gap: Apprenticeship takes 10+ years; most current apprentices are over 40, with only two under 30.

2. Market Limitations: Ritual horns have a small audience, while cultural products have low margins.

His solutions include:

• Tech Empowerment: Partnered with Huawei’s “Digital ICH” project to launch a VR horn-making course, which gained 1.5 million+ views.

• Cross-Genre Fusion: Released the album “New Rhythms of the Bronze Horn” (《铜号新韵》), with singles like “Fireside Talks” (《火塘夜话》) surpassing 3 million views on Douyin.

• Youth Engagement: Weekend classes at Mouding Youth Center combine games and role-play to attract young learners; over 120 students trained.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Li’s lifelong practice holds three layers of value:

• Historical Research: His preserved drum scriptures and horn-making rituals provide living evidence for studying Yi migration and early religion.

• Social Cohesion: The Guoshan Horn has become a cultural bridge in multi-ethnic Mouding, with his troupe including Yi, Han, and Lisu members. They were named a “Model Team for Ethnic Unity and Progress” in Yunnan.

• Educational Innovation: His “Traditional Craft + Modern Education” model is promoted by Yunnan’s Department of Culture and Tourism as a case study across 16 prefectures.

As Li himself says:
“The Guoshan Horn is not just a bamboo tube—it is the cultural DNA etched in the bones of the Yi people.”

Through five decades of persistence and innovation, Li has brought the Guoshan Horn and Zuojiao Dance from remote mountains onto the global stage, making them a vivid symbol of China’s cultural diversity.