Holding the Tianqin in one hand, shaking the string of bells hanging on the feet, and singing while playing, this is the performance method of the Zhuang Tianqin, which is a representative list of national intangible cultural heritage items.

The mellow and bright ancient piano sound with the crisp and melodious singing always makes people intoxicated. The musical charm of the Zhuang Tianqin has attracted generations of Tianqin inheritors. Li Enping, born in 1998, is one of them. He uses a Tianqin, a talent, and a hot heart to interpret the new vitality of Zhuang culture.

Lyra brings a wider world

"The spring water bends over the hillside, Zhuang people are born to love to sing..." Recently, at the rehearsal scene of the main venue of the "Zhuang Nationality March 3 Bagui Carnival" in Nanning, Li Enping and his students repeatedly practiced the songs to be performed. Li Enping told reporters that this year's "Zhuang Nationality March 3rd" main venue event has set up a Tianqin performance area in the Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area in Nanning. He and his team will play and sing "Singing the Ballad of Heaven", "A Jie Qin Ballad" and "Folk Song Love" on the spot. "4 songs of "Free Wild Goose", presenting a colorful intangible cultural feast for the tourists and citizens present.

Tianqin is an ancient traditional national musical instrument invented by the Zhuang people. It is mainly popular in Longzhou, Ningming, Pingxiang and other places in Chongzuo, Guangxi. The lyre is beautiful in shape and unique in craftsmanship. The headstock is narrow and wide on the sides, and the stem is slender. The headstock and stem are spliced together with three sections of wood using the tenon-and-mortise principle. When playing, the strings are plucked with a plectrum or finger to produce a crisp plucking sound.

Attracted by the unique charm of Tianqin, Li Enping began to practice Tianqin playing and singing when he was 10 years old, often learning piano, singing and dancing with the village art team. After high school, he chose to take the college entrance examination as an art student, and relying on his lyre playing and singing and dancing skills, he walked out of the mountains and was successfully admitted to Tianjin Media College.

During college, he took the Zhuang Tianqin, Zhuang brocade and copper bells to represent the college in the 2nd Zhengqidouyan Ethnic Minority Dance Conference and appeared on the CCTV stage. Later, invited by the Beijing Song and Dance China's Most Beautiful Starlight Organizing Committee, he took the Tianqin dolls from Guangxi to participate in the program recording of the 2018 Song and Dance China's Most Beautiful Starlight National Day Art Gala... "The two strings of the Tianqin are very simple, but they took us there. the bigger world."

Controversy and ups and downs

Tianqin is a beautiful business card of traditional Zhuang culture. As a young communicator of Tianqin art, Li Enping hopes that this ancient musical instrument will have a renewed inheritance and adapt to the trend of the times. So he added his professional art to choreography. For example, integrating people's daily life actions into original programs enriches Lyra performances.

Such performances have caused controversy. Li Enping had to wear heavy makeup when he performed on stage, and he wore different clothes with a short waist. Neither the materials nor the styles followed local traditions. And when he twisted his waist, danced his own dance, played the lyre and sang folk songs, the feminine charm revealed between his eyebrows made some people unacceptable.

His performance video has attracted some netizens to scold him. In the face of criticism, Li Enping was sad at first, but his grandma, who has always supported him, said: "Since he has chosen a different path, he will walk like a flower. When flowers bloom and fall, don't let down your original aspirations." Li Enping's mood gradually calmed down, and he strengthened his determination to continue the path of spreading the lyre.

Find more channels to promote Tianqin

Today, Li Enping has taught nearly 500 students, 50 resident actors, and about 60 resident students by using the intangible cultural heritage Tianqin to enter the campus and run the intangible cultural heritage Tianqin art training class. He also established his own Tianqin production factory, and co-wrote the non-heritage drama script "The Origin of the Zhuang Tianqin - Wonderland" with his partner Yang De, and the immersive experience drama "Zhuang + Dong + Miao Non-heritage Field Concert", etc.

At the end of 2021, he also tried the cross-border fusion of music, and directed the establishment of a new group composed of 4 girls, combining lyre and electronic music. Tianqin, bamboo flute, silver bell bracelet, and modern electronic music, "they were very 'exploded' as soon as they appeared on the stage. When I watched everyone dance to the rhythm of Tianqin's music, I was indescribably excited..." Li Enping said laughingly.

Tianqin combined with electronic music gave him a surprise that was different from the traditional communication path. He said that in the future, he would continue to explore the traditional culture in Tianqin and find a way of communication that is more acceptable to young people.