When it comes to shakuhachi, many young people will think of Japan or the soundtrack of "Naruto", but in fact, shakuhachi is a Chinese thing. Cao Hao, 35 years old this year, is a guqin teacher in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, and also a shakuhachi pipe master. According to Cao Hao, the shakuhachi is a traditional Chinese musical instrument made of bamboo, named after the length of one foot and eight inches, which was most popular during the Tang and Song dynasties and later introduced to Japan. The "Puhua Shakuhachi" he is making now originates from the Linji Temple in Zhengding, Shijiazhuang. "Traditional shakuhachi production attaches great importance to the 'talent' of bamboo." Cao Hao, who is adjusting the path for the shakuhachi festival, said that the sound of the shakuhachi is desolate and vast, and there is an ethereal and tranquil mood, so the requirements for bamboo are extremely high. In order to find bamboo materials that reproduce the "Tang Yin of the Prosperous World", he has traveled to the bamboo forests of Guilin, Hangzhou and other places many times, "After turning over a mountain to find 10 roots, it is lucky, sometimes it may be good bamboo is not found, but encountered wild boars." In order to let more people know about shakuhachi, in 2021, Cao Hao set up a shakuhachi workshop to teach people the shakuhachi playing skills for free, and now there are more than 30 students, a large part of whom are "post-90s". Every weekend, Cao Hao would take the students to stride through the wide field while playing shakuhachi to improve their strength. "In addition to being able to practice qi, blowing shakuhachi can exercise the spirit of the spirit, which has improved the problem of lack of concentration for young people." Cao Hao is good at blowing shakuhachi, and he believes that he can play shakuhachi to understand production, and he can make and improve the level of performance, and the two complement each other. "Although shakuhachi is gradually gaining more recognition, there are real dilemmas." Cao Hao said that at present, the traditional shakuhachi is very niche in China and is still in the "awakening" stage. The picture shows Cao Hao playing shakuhachi outdoors on May 7.
On April 19, Cao Hao (center) teaches guqin students.
On April 21, Cao Hao was making shakuhachi.
On April 21, Cao Hao selected bamboo and prepared to make shakuhachi.
On April 19, Cao Hao repaired the shakuhachi.
On April 21, Cao Hao (left) led the students to make shakuhachi together.
On April 26, Cao Hao (center) unpacking packages and sorting out a batch of new bamboo purchased online.
On April 19, Cao Hao (second from right) taught the Shakuhachi technique.
On April 19, Cao Hao (center) talked to the students about how to choose shakuhachi.
On April 23, Cao Hao (left) exchanged shakuhachi blowing skills with a "post-95" student.
On April 21, Cao Hao played shakuhachi.
On May 7, Cao Hao played shakuhachi. (Photo by Zhai Yujia, a reporter of China News Service)