Zhang Li and Tang Qian, the third-generation successors of "Guqin" and "Mei School Guqin Performance Art", have a lot to say.

inherited

Gathering the strengths of the four schools to create the characteristics of "Mei School"

Zhang Li and Tang Qian's piano room is located in an ordinary community of Hengkang Tea Market, Shimahe Street, Jiangbei District. There is a set of wooden seats at the door, a few guqins hanging in the house, and a cupboard full of tea sets. The piano room looks "out of tune" with the community, but it gives people a feeling of "hidden in the city".

"There are a lot of people who know the guqin now, but there are still not many people who understand it."

Guqin is a traditional Chinese plucked stringed instrument with a history of more than 3,000 years. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, a new school of qin emerged in the Jiangnan area - the Guangling qin school. With its beautiful and delicate, ups and downs and changes, the combination of rigidity and softness, and the melodious performance characteristics, the Guangling Qin School has been loved by many people, and has gradually developed into a large-scale piano school with orderly inheritance and famous masters.

Today's "Mei School Guqin" in Jiangbei was founded by Mr. Mei Yueqiang, the 11th generation descendant of the Guangling Qin School and a contemporary Guqin master. Mr. Mei Yueqiang devoted his life to the inheritance and development of the guqin, and he personally learned the guqin skills of the Zhejiang School, Jinling School and Sichuan School while learning the true heritage of the Guangling School.

"The performance characteristic of our Mei-style guqin is that on the basis of the Guangling school, we incorporate the boldness and elegance of the Zhejiang school, the agitation and wildness of the Sichuan school, and the elegance and elegance of the Jinling school." Zhang Li introduced, "But our Grandpa Shi has always emphasized 'entering the genre and not being confined to the genre'."

carry forward

Master Chengen really passed on the wishes of Mr.

Zhang Li was born in Jiujiang, a famous city in the south of the Yangtze River. He has been influenced by traditional culture since he was a child. He has taught himself the guqin for many years. Tang Qian, who has loved traditional culture since childhood, came into contact with the guqin by chance in college, and she began to learn it.

The two met at an event, and since then, the two who have the same interests often play guqin together.

Zhang Li, the thirteenth generation descendant of the Guangling Qin School, and the third generation descendant of the non-heritage Mei School of Guqin performance art. (Photo courtesy of Zhang Li)

In 2018, Zhang Li and Tang Qian officially took the twelfth generation of Guangling Qin School and the second generation of Mei School Guqin performance art as their teacher, Mei Shijun, to learn the traditional techniques of Mei School Guqin. Afterwards, the two began to declare the intangible cultural heritage of the "Mei School Guqin Performance Art".

Tang Qian, the thirteenth generation descendant of the Guangling Qin School and the third generation descendant of the non-heritage Mei School of Guqin performance art (Photo courtesy of Tang Qian)

"Actually, applying for intangible cultural heritage is the wish of our teacher, Mr. Mei Shijun, and it is also the last wish of our grandfather, Mr. Mei Yueqiang." When talking about why the "Mei School Guqin Performance Art" should be declared for intangible cultural heritage, Zhang Li said this. , "Our grandfather has made great contributions to the promotion and application of the Chinese guqin. In 2003, the Chinese guqin was successfully inscribed on the World Heritage List, but unfortunately, he could not wait for that day."

Mr. Mei Shijun, the 13th generation descendant of Guangling Qin School and the second generation descendant of the non-heritage Mei School of Guqin performance art, taught Zhang Li Guqin skills (Photo courtesy of Zhang Li)

My father's failure to see the successful application of Guqin to the World Heritage List also became a regret in Mei Shijun's heart, and all this was also taken into account by Zhang Li and Tang Qian. The two believe that since they have obtained the true biography of the teacher, the teacher's wish should be fulfilled, and the Mei school guqin should be passed down and carried forward.

In the end, with the help and support of Jiangbei District Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, "Mei School Guqin Performance Art" was awarded as the eighth batch of intangible cultural heritage representative projects by the Jiangbei District People's Government of Chongqing in 2021.

Do your best to pass on the rhyme of "Guqin"

If people like Guqin and are willing to learn Guqin, they must first know Guqin.

So, the two founded the piano room. In 2016, Zhang Li and Tang Qian co-founded the "Guqin Museum". After officially learning the "Mei School Guqin Performance Art", the "Guqin Museum" was renamed "Chongqing Yiyunzhai Guqin Museum", and the two also began to teach students by themselves. At present, the piano room has taught 60 to 70 students and taught more than 2,000 lessons.

Tang Qian is practicing guqin in the piano room

Talking about the problem of "guqin is difficult to learn", Tang Qian also said that it is really not difficult, "For all students, we teach each other by word of mouth and teach one-on-one. Generally, students can learn one song in three lessons, and ten lessons. You can reach the first level." Tang Qian encourages everyone to try it if they are interested.

Guqin minus character notation

The guqin was originally not used as a performance instrument. In the pre-Qin period, it was even the patent of the scholar-official class. Nowadays, in order to let more people know about the guqin, many players have begun to bring the guqin to their performances, including Zhang Li and Tang Qian.

The two often go to various places at home and abroad for guqin performances or cultural exchanges, and even participate in guqin public welfare promotion activities without paying.

Zhang Li is practicing guqin in the piano room

Now, the two plan to try webcasting. With the joint efforts of many Guqin inheritors and enthusiasts, Zhang Li and Tang Qian also clearly felt that Guqin gradually became less popular.

"Now more and more parents are willing to let their children learn Guqin, and there are more and more Guqin performances and cultural exchange activities." Tang Qian said happily. The two said that the promotion of Guqin will not stop, and they are also planning to try more good forms to introduce Guqin to more people.

Between a touch and a pick, the advance, the retreat and the retreat, I am afraid it has been built into a landscape of mountains and rivers, water, light and clouds... The sound of the guqin is both pure and elegant, but also clear and distant. The charm of the guqin is worth letting more people know.