Blind Strings

This work is inspired by Liangzhou Xianxiao, one of the first batch of nationally recognized intangible cultural heritage projects.

Also known as Liangzhou Admonitions, Liangzhou Xianxiao is an ancient folk storytelling and singing tradition mainly found in the Liangzhou region. Its songs often praise loyal ministers, valiant generals, filial sons, and virtuous descendants. They uphold the values of “loyalty to the country and filial piety at home,” striving for the ideal of being both loyal and filial. The lyrics are passed orally from teacher to student and are rarely written down. Performers usually accompany themselves on the sanxian, sometimes adding the erhu, flute, wooden fish, and struck plates. The art form has deep traditional roots, profound content, and a distinctive style.

The folk artists who made a living performing Liangzhou Xianxiao were mostly blind and were known as “blind string players.”

In the old society, these blind performers sang along the streets, urging people to do good and instructing the public. Believed to possess a kind of mysterious power, they were respectfully called “blind immortals” by the people of Liangzhou. Yet they remained at the bottom of society, struggling to survive, their lives as fragile as grass.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Liangzhou Xianxiao received recognition and protection, and many new songs were created to praise the new China.

As times have changed, its audience has grown markedly older, with little interest from younger generations, and Liangzhou Xianxiao now faces a crisis of transmission.

A new generation of young people is actively carrying on this intangible cultural heritage. They are creating Liangzhou Xianxiao songs that celebrate the new era, using digital technology to preserve the art and new forms of literature and the arts to develop it. They are also building a cultural tourism industry, bringing new life to this ancient art and making it a new emblem of Liangzhou culture.