Have you ever wondered how ancient culture survives and thrives in the digital age? Prepare to be amazed as we take you on a fascinating journey to explore China’s rich intangible cultural heritage. From the bustling streets of Fuzhou to the sun-kissed deserts of Xinjiang, we’ll unearth cultural treasures that have captured the hearts of people around the world. In Fuzhou, there’s a traditional hairpin that’s much more than just an accessory.
The “three hairpins” of Fuzhou carry hundreds of years of history. In Xinjiang, a Qiuci dance originating from ancient caves vividly presents the glory of the past to the world. These two cultural phenomena are not just local traditions, they have set off a storm on the global digital stage.
So what is it about these Chinese cultural treasures that makes them so irresistible? And how do they transcend language and geography?
Welcome back to my channel. Let’s unveil the mystery of “Three Hairpins” and Kucha Dance and appreciate the unique charm of China’s intangible cultural heritage that is sweeping the world.
First, let’s get to know the “Three Hairpins” of Fuzhou, a non-legacy. In ancient Chinese culture, hairpins are not just practical tools for tying hair, but also exquisite decorations with profound cultural connotations. They embody the unremitting pursuit of beauty by ancient Chinese women and contain rich etiquette culture. As a unique branch of hairpin culture, Fuzhou’s “Three Hairpins” are unique in production technology and modeling.
Making “three hairpins” requires craftsmen to have superb skills. The selection of materials is extremely exquisite. Usually, high-quality metals with tough texture and excellent luster, such as silver, are selected. Such materials can not only withstand fine processing, but also add unique beauty to the hairpin.
Relying on the craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation, craftsmen use a variety of techniques such as engraving and inlaying to carefully carve exquisite patterns with rich meanings on the hairpins. Some of these patterns are flowers, birds, fish and insects that symbolize good luck and are lively and vivid; others are taken from traditional cultural stories and vividly reproduce historical scenes. Every line and every detail embodies the hard work and wisdom of the craftsmen.
In terms of shape, the “Three Hairpins” are unique. It consists of three hairpins, the body of which is slender and elegant, and the hairpin head is the essence of the whole hairpin. The hairpin head is exquisitely designed, some are like blooming flowers, with layers of petals, delicate and realistic; some are shaped like auspicious beasts, majestic and lifelike. The three hairpins match each other and are worn on the bun. They sway with the woman’s every move, showing the gentleness and elegance of oriental women. This unique shape not only highlights the regional cultural characteristics of Fuzhou, but also perfectly fits the symmetry and harmony aesthetic concepts in traditional Chinese culture.
Next, let’s turn our attention to Xinjiang and focus on the culture of Qiuci shown in Gulimina’s dance short film “Qiuci”. Qiuci, this ancient and mysterious place, is located in the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang and the northern edge of the Tarim Basin. It is an important hub of the ancient Silk Road. In the long river of history, it was once the political, economic, cultural and trade center of the Western Regions, and the intersection of the four major civilizations of ancient India, Greece, Persia, Han and Tang Dynasties. The unique geographical location and the deep integration of multiple cultures have given birth to the rich, profound and unique Qiuci culture.
In the culture of Qiuci, the art of music and dance is the most brilliant pearl. Qiuci dance originated in the Kuche area of Xinjiang during the Tang Dynasty. It has a unique style and is very dynamic. Shen Liao of the Song Dynasty wrote in his poem “Qiuci Dance”: “Qiuci dance, Qiuci dance, first entered the Yuefu in the Han Dynasty.” It can be seen that Qiuci dance has been on the stage of music and dance in the Central Plains since the Western Han Dynasty.
In the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, its loud and pleasant, vigorous and unique characteristics made it almost popular throughout the Central Plains. In order to demonstrate the strength of the country and balance ethnic relations, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, created the palace dance by integrating the music and dance of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, and Qiuci dance is an outstanding representative of them.
Judging from the dance movements, the swift, agile, brisk and lively jumping steps are the typical characteristics of Qiuci dance. In the “Tongdian”, this movement is called “qiaozu”, “qiao” means to raise the foot, which refers to the action of quickly raising the foot high and tilting it up.
This movement has a strong posture. In the Qiuci Grottoes murals, the music Bodhisattva playing the panpipe, the Brahman confessor, the music Bodhisattva making offerings to the Buddha, etc., all show the same “qiaozu” posture. This posture is full of vitality, the movements are light and flexible, and convey a cheerful mood, as if it can make us feel the joy in the dancer’s heart. Qiuci painters use this movement feature to express the joy of the music Bodhisattva when receiving the Dharma or making offerings to the Buddha.
In addition, the Kucha dance also has the characteristic of “playing with eyes”, that is, being good at using various expressions of eyes to convey the dancer’s inner feelings. Raising eyebrows and moving eyes, eyes with flowing waves, the clever use of eyes makes Kucha dance better at expressing emotions and has a unique and charming charm. This is also one of the important reasons why Kucha dance was famous in the world and popular throughout the country in ancient times.
In the dance short film “Kucha”, Gulimina uses a female traveler trekking in the desert dust as the narrative clue, opening a dreamlike journey to Kucha. When the traveler steps into the Kumtura Grottoes, light and shadow interweave with the murals, and a dance feast across time and space begins. The creators perfectly blend reality and history through clever picture switching and special effects processing. The traveler dances to the sound of ancient music and gradually transforms into a fairy in the mural. This transformation not only brings a strong visual shock, but also a vivid interpretation of the music and dance culture of Kucha.
The short film shows a variety of Kucha dances, about a dozen of them, such as Hu Teng Dance, Hu Xuan Dance, Zhezhi Dance, Simulation Dance, Bowl Dance, Ribbon Dance, and Drum Dance. Most of the musicians and dancers in the murals dance while playing music. The musical instruments are both the accompaniment of the dance and the props that enhance the dance performance. The Kucha music that accompanies the fairy dance is unique in style. It combines the ancient Kucha music full of Western music elements. It is composed of Qiang flute, suona, curved neck pipa and other instruments. The fairies stretch their wide sleeves lightly, fly gracefully, and show the ribbon dance, Hu Xuan Dance, Hu Teng Dance, etc. Through innovative arrangement, the Kucha music and dance in ancient books and murals are “alive”. In the unity of music and dance, it leads the audience through time and space to appreciate the prosperity of ancient Kucha.
From the perspective of artistic expression, Qiuci cleverly uses environmental contrast. The vast desert and the towering caves form a sharp contrast, highlighting the mystery and solemnity of the caves. The scene filled with wind and sand not only adds to the mystery of the story, but also symbolizes the passage of time and the inheritance of culture. At the end, the wind and sand are filled again, and the dancer’s figure gradually blurs in the mirror until it disappears. This journey through ancient and modern times leads people to experience the ancient Qiuci where Buddhist beliefs and cave art shine, highlighting that although the word “Qiuci” has been submerged in the changes of history, the cultural memory here has never been forgotten.
As an important transportation route between the East and the West, ancient Qiuci has always been a place where multiple ethnic groups, religions, and cultures converged. During the Han and Tang dynasties, it gave birth to brilliant Buddhist culture and art. “Qiuci” not only inherits the ancient charm of Qiuci culture, but also explores the Chinese imprint in Qiuci culture. The camera shows the group of mural characters in the caves with minerals smudged with Gandhara style, Tang style, Qiuci style, and Uighur style. The Sanskrit sounds are lingering, and the Jie drum sounds are loud. That is the Qiuci song and dance flying from the heavenly palace, “traveling all over Liangzhou, and the colorful Qiuci continues to roar green.” The loud and pleasant Qiuci music was played in the courts of the Sui and Tang dynasties, becoming an important part of the nine-part music of the Sui Dynasty and the ten-part music of the Tang Dynasty.
The spread of Chinese intangible cultural heritage to the world is of far-reaching significance. It shows the world China’s long history and splendid culture, allowing more people to appreciate the breadth and depth of Chinese culture. Each intangible cultural heritage is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Chinese people and a symbol of the spirit of the Chinese nation. Through the spread of intangible cultural heritage, mutual understanding and friendship between different countries and nations can be enhanced, and cultural exchange and integration can be promoted. In today’s globalized world, cultural exchange and integration have become an unstoppable trend. The “going out” of Chinese intangible cultural heritage has added a strong and colorful touch to the diversity of world culture.
At the same time, this also brings new opportunities for the inheritance and development of China’s intangible cultural heritage. When intangible cultural heritage receives attention overseas, the importance of intangible cultural heritage in China will also increase accordingly. More people will devote themselves to the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage, injecting new vitality into the development of intangible cultural heritage. International exchanges and cooperation can also allow us to learn from other countries’ advanced experience in cultural protection and inheritance, and further promote the development of China’s intangible cultural heritage.
Looking to the future, we have every reason to believe that more and more Chinese intangible cultural heritage projects like “Three Hairpins” and “Kucha” dance will shine more brightly on the world stage. They will be like cultural ties, closely connecting China and the world, allowing the world to better understand China and making Chinese culture unique in the world culture. As an audience, we should also actively pay attention to the development of Chinese intangible cultural heritage and contribute our own strength to its dissemination and inheritance. Let us look forward to Chinese intangible cultural heritage creating more glory on the world stage.