Dulcimers in Guangxi tug heartstrings across borders

    On a late July afternoon, already hot by Nanning standards, a timely shower lowered the mercury to a more congenial range. Wei Qingbing welcomed visitors by performing on the duxianqin, or one-stringed dulcimer, in his studio in the city in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    "This deceptively simple bamboo instrument is actually capable of playing tunes across six tonal registers and three octaves," said Wei, who strummed the metal string with his right hand, while the tonal qualities were adjusted by his left hand by pulling a slightly curved tuning lever attached to the single cord.

    Just watching Wei's hands allows viewers to see an amazing feat of ambidexterity

Wei Qingbing welcomes visitors by performing on the duxianqin, or one-stringed dulcimer, in his studio in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

    As his surname suggests, Wei is of the Zhuang ethnic minority, yet has become a "representative inheritor of the duxianqin art," which is often regarded as a cultural symbol of the Jing ethnic group.

    Nor is the instrument restricted to Guangxi. In Vietnam, where the Kinh people make up 80 percent of the population, the duxianqin, or đàn bầu in Vietnamese, is regarded as a national treasure and has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

    The Jing people emigrated to where they are today in China in the 16th century and the duxianqin, in addition to the Ha Festival and bamboo dancing, is one of their cherished cultural treasures.

    In Vietnam, the duxianqin has been part and parcel of Vietnam's national curriculum since the 1950s, with formal instruction given from elementary school to postgraduate studies.

    Duxianqin art is borderless, and plays a significant role as a bridge in musical cultural exchange between China and foreign countries, Wei said.

    He learned the art from many masters, including Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam, a virtuoso of the Vietnamese đàn bầu.

    Wei wrote fondly of his indebtedness to Nguyen.

    "She is like a kind, affectionate mother, tirelessly explaining and demonstrating everything to me," he wrote. The 38-year-old artist is currently pursuing his PhD in ethnomusicology at Mahasarakham University in Thailand.

    Wei's passion for the the duxianqin can be traced to his high school days when he stumbled upon a performance by the Twelve Girls Band, a very popular Chinese traditional musical group at that time. One of the 12 girls was a duxianqin player.

    It was not until 2007, when he was studying at Guangxi Arts University, that Wei began to learn the duxianqin.

    Notwithstanding the shared heritage, the duxianqin seems to be taught differently in China and Vietnam, with the former emphasizing innovation and creation, and the latter focused on folk songs and the oral tradition.

    "Many elements of folk music can't be fully expressed in written scores, and some subtle stylistic nuances are best passed down orally," Wei said.

Wei Qingbing performs on an over-sized duxianqin in the Guangxi Arts University's Ethnic Music Museum in late July.

    Wei started to share his duxianqin performance videos on Douyin five years ago, which have garnered over 38 million views and 157,000 followers to date.

    Among his nearly 60 duxianqin videos, those featuring Chinese TV theme songs and traditional Chinese folk songs are among the most popular, with each post averaging over 50,000 likes.

    "Some children decided to learn the instrument from me after watching my videos," Wei said.

    Some children learned at their parents' insistence, who found "the instrument unique."

    Wei could perhaps also take a leaf from the Dingding Band, whose inclusion of pop music elements in their tianqin performances has cultivated a young following.

    The tianqin, or "Ding" in the Zhuang language, is an instrument created by the Zhuang people. Despite having only two strings, it's rich and bright tones are perfect for solo performance, singing or dancing.

Tianqin maestro Li Shaowei tells a love story about the instrument's origin in Longzhou County.

    The tianqin, too, is evolving.

    Later in the day, in a minimalist rehearsal space where the acoustics left much to be desired, the six-member Dingding Band gave an enthusiastic and spirited rendering of traditional tunes, with lyrics of their own.

    In addition to two tianqin players, there was also a guitarist, a bassist, a keyboard player and a drummer, all clad in fancy, though slightly modernized, Zhuang ethnic dress.

    Combining traditional folk songs with rap, the band succeeded in reaching out to a young demographic, not just in China.

The Dingding Band gives a rendering of traditional tunes, with lyrics of their own.

    On April 26, the Dingding Band was invited to perform in the "March 18th Ethnic Traditional Festival" in Quang Hoa County, Vietnam, where the tianqin is also popular.

    The band were quite surprised to hear some shops playing their songs as they strolled down the street.

    Qin Yan, a tianqin player and bassist for the Dingding Band, remembered how Vietnamese audiences would sing along as they played.

    "We sing in the Zhuang language, which is understood by the Vietnamese living near the Longzhou County in Guangxi," Qin said. "Apparently, the melodies help create a sense of connection with our Vietnamese friends."

The Dingding Band performs in the March 18th Ethnic Traditional Festival in Quang Hoa County, Vietnam.

    In addition to China and Vietnam, music also strengthens the bond between China and ASEAN countries.

    Since 2012, Guangxi Arts University, Wei's alma mater, has hosted the China-ASEAN Music Week annually. The week was initially intended to bring together musicians from China and ASEAN countries, but has since grown to attract musicians worldwide to showcase a variety of newly created music pieces in different styles.

    Asked about his most memorable moment in a China-ASEAN Music Week, Wei cited the 2023 special concert by the C asean Consonant Band, a traditional ensemble from the 10 ASEAN countries.

    As an assistant for the ensemble, Wei had the opportunity to experience various performance styles and interact with musicians from different ASEAN countries.

    "C asean Consonant received an overwhelmingly positive response," Wei said. "Although the ensemble consists of only 20 members, the shared sense of beauty they created was truly impressive."

    Such exchanges could also be observed at a more formal level.

    Guangxi Arts University's Ethnic Music Museum, established in 2018, is the first specialized music museum in the region dedicated to the nexus between Southeast Asian countries in terms of music.

    The museum's extensive collection of musical instruments from the ASEAN region has consistently drawn the attention of diplomats from ASEAN countries based in Nanning.

Guangxi Arts University's Ethnic Music Museum's extensive collection of musical instruments from the ASEAN regions has drawn the attention of diplomats from ASEAN countries based in Nanning.

    During a media visit to the museum on July 23, He Qingxin, dean of the College of Film, Television & Media at Guangxi Arts University, said that diplomats from ASEAN countries make it a point to visit the museum during their trips to China. During the China-ASEAN Music Week, some musical groups even donate their instruments to the museum after their performances.

    The China-ASEAN Music Week this year, due to take place in October, would continue to facilitate exchanges in this aspect.

    Music transcends borders, by weaving diverse cultures into a harmonious tapestry of shared humanity, Wei said.

The authors are Chen Yanxi, Zhu Xueer and Wan Lixin. Lu Tianyue and Zhao Yiru also contributed to the story. Chen Yanxi, Zhu Xueer, Lu Tianyue and Zhao Yiru are MA students from the School of Journalism and Communication, Shanghai International Studies University.