Cultural relics connect the ancient and modern, and cultural relics confirm history. The purpose of "Cultural Relics xinjiang" is to dig deep into the historical and cultural information contained in the cultural relics and cultural relics excavated in Xinjiang through the realistic brushwork of experts and scholars, to empirically prove the historical process of the chinese nation's pluralism and integration and Xinjiang is an inseparable part of the motherland, and to fully explain that our vast territory is jointly pioneered by all nationalities, our long history is jointly written by all ethnic groups, our splendid culture is jointly created by all ethnic groups, and our great spirit is jointly cultivated by all ethnic groups.
Xinjiang was known as the Western Regions in ancient times, and the ancient music and dance here has a unique artistic charm and important historical value, which is the composition of the artistic essence that has been passed down for thousands of years in the treasure house of Chinese culture and art, and is also an important part of the cultural exchange on the ancient Silk Road. The art of western music and dance recorded in ancient Chinese literature and the poems of celebrities and scholars has thrilled and admired those who have the privilege of watching in ancient times. So, how shocking is the Western Music and Dance Performance, and how sonorous and powerful is the music? Fortunately, history has fixed these scenes in various cultural relics and monuments unearthed in the Central Plains and the Western Regions, so that we have the privilege of reliving history and feeling the infinite charm brought to us by the art of music and dance.
In some ancient cultural relics found in Xinjiang, we can clearly see how ancient artists expressed their thoughts and emotions through body language, the most typical of which is the Kangjia Shimenzi rock painting located in Hutubi County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, more than 3,000 years ago. On this brown-red mountain with a vertical height of 208 meters, about 10 meters above the ground, there are 200 to 300 figures and animals of different sizes and postures. The petroglyphs use bas-relief techniques, in which the characters are themed to express the movements of the group dance, and some of the images are also depicted in rows of scenes of small people dancing happily, showing the ancients dancing at the sacrificial ceremony of praying for the reproduction of their heirs and the prosperity of the people.
Kangjia Shimenzi petroglyphs. From the catalogue "Dancing Life, Music and Raising The Voice of the Heart: Memories of Ancient Dance Music Art in Xinjiang"
In the past, in addition to using dance to express the worship of natural ecology and interpret the meaning of life, for a long period of time, dance performances also had a close relationship with primitive religions and certain sacrificial rituals, among which the more typical is the Su Mu Chao Dance. Su Mu Cha is a large-scale song and dance drama, also known as the Beggar Han Dance, which is held in July every year in the ancient turtle country, with a strong mass and entertainment. The content of the performance: First, begging for cold water, the other is to destroy disasters and ward off evil spirits, and its performance scene is huge, there are many characters, and the atmosphere is warm. The performers are both male and female, wearing felt hats and masks, singing and dancing, and splashing water on each other, which reflects a strong entertainment.
Sumu shari box. From the catalogue "Dancing Life, Music and Raising The Voice of the Heart: Memories of Ancient Dance Music Art in Xinjiang"
A wooden painted relics box excavated from the site of the Subash Buddhist Temple in Kuqa City vividly shows this dance scene. The lid of this box depicts four bel canto birds Jialing Pinjia holding a reed, a vertical hoop, a quxiang pipa and an instrument similar to a five-stringed pipa, and the most wonderful part of the box is depicted with 21 dancers in gorgeous dance costumes, 10 of whom wear various masks, including ceremonial flags and children clapping together, and the atmosphere is warm. These figures have a strong performance component, and people interpret beautiful myths and legends with mysterious and symbolic dances, expressing the hope for life to come alive. This dramatic dance gradually spread to the Central Plains along the ancient Silk Road.
The box surface of the Su Mu Sha Li box unfolds. From the catalogue "Dancing Life, Music and Raising The Voice of the Heart: Memories of Ancient Dance Music Art in Xinjiang"
Western dance has strong regional characteristics, and the personality characteristics of local residents such as heroism, unrestrainedness and enthusiasm are integrated into the dance. The famous Hu Xuan Dance, Hu Teng Dance, etc. were also popular after they were introduced to the Central Plains because the dancers were full of vitality and rhythm when they danced. Because the instruments played when performing Hu Xuan Dance and Hu Teng Dance are mainly percussion instruments, the volume of the instruments is large and loud, so it renders a bright and cheerful momentum, which is popular after reaching the Central Plains. With the passage of time, although we can no longer see the Hu Teng dance of the Tang Dynasty, we can appreciate this dance that once swept the country from the cultural relics of the Tang Dynasty Hu Teng dance left behind, such as the Hu Xuan Dance in the Dunhuang murals, the pottery glazed bottles unearthed in Ningxia and Anyang in Henan and the Hu Teng Dance on the stone gate. The same "Hu Teng Dance" is depicted on both sides of the belly of the ceramic glazed bottle, and in the center of the picture is a dancer, wearing a pointed hat, wearing a lapel-collared robe, a broadband belt around the waist, and wearing boots on his feet, making a twisting tap dance. On his right side stood two men, one holding cymbals and one playing the lute. One person on the left plays the horizontal flute, and one person high-fives to accompany the singing. All five of them had deep eyes, high noses, and wore bearded clothes.
The image of Hu whirling dance in the Dunhuang murals. Image courtesy of Dunhuang Research Institute
Hu Teng dance on a green pottery glazed bottle unearthed in Ningxia. From the catalogue "Dancing Life, Music and Raising The Voice of the Heart: Memories of Ancient Dance Music Art in Xinjiang"
Hu Teng dance and Hu Xuan dance can be described as popular in the Tang Dynasty, from the court to the folk, there are scenes of "Tianbao wants to change every year in the season, and everyone in the concubines learns to turn (referring to the Hu Xuan dance)" and "The city head mountain chicken sings horns, and the Luoyang family learns Hu Le". The Tang Dynasty poet Liu Yanshi wrote a poem "Wang Zhongcheng's House Night Watching The Dance of Hu Teng" after watching the Hu Teng dance: "The Hu'er people in the Shiguo kingdom are rare, and the squatting dance is as anxious as a bird... The wine dance strikes the silk pipe, and the hibiscus flower sees the remnant moon. The first few sentences of the poem are describing the details of the Hu Teng dance, emphasizing that the Hu Teng dance is extremely ornamental, and the last sentence says that by the time you finish the dance, drink wine, and listen to the song, it is almost dawn. It can be seen that Hu Xuan Dance and Hu Teng Dance are popular in the Central Plains. In addition, long-sleeved dances and wide-sleeved dances are also very popular. Through dance, a highly artistic form, cultural exchanges in the Western Regions and the Central Plains have been greatly promoted.
Hu Teng dance on a stone gate unearthed in Ningxia. From the catalogue "Dancing Life, Music and Raising The Voice of the Heart: Memories of Ancient Dance Music Art in Xinjiang"
Dance and music go hand in hand, and the accompaniment of music first requires the invention and production of instrumental music. Xinjiang ancient musical instruments have a long history of production, the ancestors here since ancient times, and good at the performance of musical instruments, according to the "Book of Han , Western Regions", "Later HanShu • Five Elements" and other historical records, in the Han Dynasty, flute, Huqin and other Western instrumental music introduced to the Central Plains, while the Central Plains of the qin, kite, bell, drums, etc. also spread to the Western Regions, which greatly enriched the music playing skills, promoted the prosperity of the Western Regions and the Central Plains music culture.
Musical instruments in the murals on the front wall of Cave 8 of the Kyzyl Caves. Image courtesy of Guizi Institute
The Western musical instruments that spread to the Central Plains include vertical flutes (later harps), reeds, 唢na, Hu pipa, five strings, vertical flutes, bow-shaped flutes, etc., which were later transformed into commonly used traditional instruments. Whether it is an instrument from the Central Plains or a local instrument from the Western Regions, it is fully reflected in the existing murals in Guizi. The murals are rich in variety of musical instruments, including zhenzhen, pipa, ruan strings, reeds, reeds, hoops, karma drums, etc., vivid images, as if the sound of a thousand years has been heard, and the rhythm is clear and sonorous.
Kyzyl Caves Cave 196 Main Room Celestial Phase Diagram Lotte. Image courtesy of Guizi Institute
The eastern transmission of music and dance in the Western Regions has not only changed the music and dance of the Central Plains, but also affected the aesthetic concepts, life interests and the content of entertainment activities of people in the Central Plains to varying degrees. Xiyu music and dance has been famous in the world since ancient times, there is "trial dance a song in the world", and now there is "Wanfang music has been played in Khotan", which shows the far-reaching influence of Western music and dance on Central Plains music and dance.
To sum up, since Zhang Qian's envoy to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty, the Western Regions and the Central Plains have begun close exchanges in the political, economic, cultural and other aspects, and have had a major impact on each other, especially in the field of music and dance art. After the music and dance art of the Western Regions was introduced to the Central Plains, it injected new vitality and far-reaching influence on the development of the music and dance art of the Central Plains, and this mutual exchange influence promoted the integration and development of culture. The famous poets of the Tang Dynasty, such as Cen Shan and Du Fu, left many poems describing the song and dance of the Western Regions, such as "The beauty dance is like a lotus whirlwind, and the world should not see it", "This song should only be in the sky, and the world can hear it several times", which has become a true portrayal of the cultural exchanges between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, Zhou Ning)
Edit: Amao
Review: Ge Jian
Supervisor: Si Yuanxun
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