Zhang Yinqing - Representative Inheritor of  Miao Lusheng Dance Project in Daguan County, Zhaotong

Zhang Yinqing (1952 – ) is a provincial-level representative inheritor of the Miao Lusheng Dance (苗族芦笙舞), a cultural heritage of Lunan Village, Tianxing Town (天星镇路南村), Daguan County (大关县), Zhaotong City (昭通市), Yunnan Province (云南省). His artistic career spans the pivotal period when this traditional northeastern Yunnan dance transitioned from informal folk entertainment to systematic protection. As the 14th-generation inheritor of Guai Lusheng (拐芦笙), Zhang has devoted over 70 years to preserving and innovating this ancient art, bringing it from rural villages to national cultural platforms, earning the title “Living Guardian of Lusheng in the Wumeng Mountains.”

1. Family Background and Early Training

• Born into a Miao family in Lunan Village, Zhang was immersed in Lusheng culture from childhood.

• At age 15, he apprenticed under Miao Lusheng Dance master Zhu Yingcai (朱应才) from Yiliang County, undergoing 1.5 years of systematic training, mastering the ten major suites (e.g., Garao 《嘎绕》, Gengduoji 《更多吉》) and Han-Yi dialect performance (汉语彝腔).

• His style blends Miao “flower-jumping” dance (跳花) with structured Han opera techniques, forming a robust, natural, and expressive style, especially skilled in metaphorical storytelling (比兴) and ensemble singing (帮腔) to enhance dramatic effect.

• In 1982, representing Daguan County at the Zhaotong Regional Arts Festival, he won Second Prize with Hunting Dance (《狩猎舞》), marking the start of his professional career.

2. Core Skills and Artistic Breakthroughs

a) Living Guardian of Traditional Techniques

• Ritual Procedures: Adheres strictly to ancient rituals such as Lighting Ceremony, Garment Offering, Welcoming the Saint, and Sending-off Ceremony (团灯、卦衣、迎圣、送灯), hosting solemn springtime sacrifices to ensure cultural continuity.

• Dance Characteristics: Incorporates martial arts-inspired routines such as “Four-Gate Duels” (四门斗) and “Plum Blossom Formation” (梅花阵), using techniques like “Horseback Step” (alternating feet with subtle body tremors) and “Blade Flower Technique” (刀花技法) to vividly portray historical battle scenes.

b) Innovator of Modern Dance Styles

• Expanded traditional Lusheng dance storytelling to include modern life scenarios, creating new works such as Celebrating the Harvest (《庆丰收》) and Wedding Dance (《迎亲舞》).

• In Border Trade Song (《边贸欢歌》), combined Miao “jumping songs” with modern disco steps, using tongue clicks and shoulder shakes to depict the prosperity of border trade. This piece won the Caiyun Silver Award (彩云奖) at the 2019 Yunnan Ethnic Folk Arts Festival.

• Innovated “Lusheng Strike-and-Sing Separation” technique, striking the reed with bamboo sticks in the left hand while plucking the string with the right, enriching melodic layers.

3. Multi-Layered Transmission System

• Community Teaching: Established the Zhang Yinqing Lusheng Dance Workshop (张银清芦笙舞传习所) in Lunan Village, using hearth-side teaching, training over 50 apprentices.

• School Outreach: Long-term Lusheng courses at Tianxing Town Central Primary School, adapting traditional works like The Wolf is Coming (《狼来了》) into “Lusheng Rhythm Exercises”, cultivating over 200 young inheritors.

• Documentation: Participated in compiling Daguan Miao Lusheng Dance Traditional Play Collection (《大关苗族芦笙舞传统剧目汇编》), including 80 classic scripts such as Menghuo (《孟获》) and Dragon-Tiger Duel (《龙虎斗》).

4. Cultural Promotion and Modern Innovation

a) National-Level Cultural Ambassador

• Official Recognition: In 2017, selected as a provincial-level representative inheritor; performances featured on CCTV’s Xiangtu program (《乡土》), TikTok teaching videos exceeded 1 million views.

• Awards: Led a team in the 2019 Yunnan Ethnic Folk Arts Festival; performance Beacon Fire at Baicaoling (《百草岭烽火》) won the Caiyun Silver Award, and he received Best Performance Award.

b) Cultural Tourism Integration

• Scenic Application: Designed Lusheng Dance Immersive Experience Center at Huanglianhe Scenic Area (黄连河景区), offering mask painting, costume trials, and simple performances for over 30,000 visitors annually, increasing local income by 1,000 RMB per capita.

• Festival Empowerment: Organizes Tianxing Lusheng Cultural Festival (天星芦笙文化节) during the annual Miao Huashan Festival (苗族花山节), creating cross-genre plays like Yi-Han Harmony (《彝汉同辉》), attracting over 500,000 online viewers.

5. Heritage Protection and Policy Engagement

a) Systematic Preservation Projects

• Digital Archiving: Partnered with Yunnan Minzu University to create a 3D scanned digital archive of 20 core Lusheng melodies, developing a VR teaching system on Study Xi (学习强国).

• Play Revivals: Led restoration of endangered pieces, enhancing stage lighting and set design for modern performances.

b) Policy and Social Support

• Funding: Secured provincial heritage protection funds for workshop construction, equipment purchase, and monthly stipends (500 RMB) for apprentices.

• Mechanism Innovation: Established Huashan Lusheng Propaganda Team, integrating Party policies into Lusheng performance; produced Carrying the National Emblem into Yi Villages (《背着国徽进彝寨》), recognized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture.

6. Challenges and Innovative Solutions

Challenges:

• Talent gap: learning cycle 8–10 years; average apprentice age 45, only 2 under 30.

• Market limitations: high-end ceremonial plays limited by ritual constraints; cultural products popular but low-profit.

Innovative Responses:

• Technology Empowerment: Collaborated with Huawei’s Digital Intangible Heritage project, developing VR teaching systems with over 2 million views.

• Cross-Genre Integration: Combined Lusheng modes with modern music, releasing New Rhythms of Lusheng (《芦笙新韵》); the single Night Tales by the Hearth (《火塘夜话》) exceeded 5 million TikTok views.

• School Engagement: Weekend Lusheng workshops at youth centers using fun games + scenario acting, training over 80 students.

7. Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

• Historical Research: Preserved traditional percussion scores and rituals provide evidence for Ming-era Yiyang Opera (弋阳腔) transmission in Southwest China.

• Cultural Cohesion: In multi-ethnic Daguan County, Lusheng Dance fosters unity among Miao, Han, Yi communities, earning Yunnan Model Team for Ethnic Unity and Progress recognition.

• Educational Innovation: His “traditional skills + modern education” model has been promoted in 16 prefectures by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism.

As Zhang Yinqing says:

“Lusheng is not just the sound of bamboo—it is the cultural DNA engraved in the bones of the Miao people.”

Through balancing tradition and innovation, he has spent half a century bringing Miao Lusheng Dance from rural valleys to the international stage, exemplifying the diverse unity of Chinese civilization.