In the greenery of Bauhinia Village, Hangzhou, Shi Feiyun, an expert in bamboo flute making, is concentrating on handmaking a bamboo flute. The meticulous carving of each knife and the gentleness of each caressing bamboo pipe are poured into his respect and love for traditional craftsmanship. Beauty lies in ingenuity, beauty lies in innovation.
Figure 1: Shi Feiyun in Bauhinia Village, Zhongtai Street, Hangzhou
Bauhinia Village is a sea of green covered with bitter bamboo. It is not only the "hometown of China's bitter bamboo", but also the world-famous "hometown of bamboo flute". From the poor villages that once made a living by selling bitter bamboo, to the vigorous development of the bamboo flute industry today, Bauhinia Village has cultivated a "well-off flower" with bitter bamboo, and the bamboo flute in Bauhinia Village accounts for more than 85% of the global bamboo flute market, and the life of the villagers is also like the timbre of the bamboo flute, rising steadily.
Figure 2: Shi Feiyun in Bauhinia Village, Zhongtai Street, Hangzhou, making bamboo flute craftsmanship
Figure 3: Shi Feiyun making bamboo flute craft in Bauhinia Village, Zhongtai Street, Hangzhou.
The bamboo flute is known as the "poet of musical instruments" and is composed of bamboo pipes, mouthpieces, sound holes and other parts. Its vocal range is wide, the timbre is clear, and the aftersound lingers, giving people a sense of tranquility and distantness.
According to historical records, the origin of the bamboo flute can be traced back to the Yellow Emperor period, flourishing in the Tang Dynasty, to the Ming and Qing dynasties, and has been widely used. Shi Feiyun, an expert in bamboo flute making, has been interested in bamboo flute making skills since he was a child, and has formed an indissoluble bond with bamboo flutes, and has taken root in Bauhinia Village to establish Hangzhou Quanle Music Instrument Co., Ltd., specializing in bamboo flute production and skill inheritance.
Figure 4: Shi Feiyun making bamboo flute in Bauhinia Village, Zhongtai Street, Hangzhou
Figure 5: Shi Feiyun made bamboo flute in Bauhinia Village, Zhongtai Street, Hangzhou
Walking into this factory, it is like traveling through thousands of years and returning to the era when bamboo flutes were melodious. The quaint decoration, the faint fragrance of bamboo, and the samples of the various processes of bamboo flute production are neatly hung on the wall. Shi Feiyun said that making a good bamboo flute requires dozens of processes such as carefully selecting materials, making the flute body, punching, and tuning. Each process needs to be strictly controlled in order to produce a bamboo flute with beautiful sound quality and exquisite appearance. In the production process, factors such as climate, room temperature, and bamboo quality need to be taken into account to ensure that the bamboo flute produced is of high quality.
The performance of the bamboo flute focuses on the control of breath and the change of timbre, and shows the beautiful timbre and moving melody of the bamboo flute through the integration of blowing skills and emotions. Shi Feiyun sprinkled his emotions at his fingertips and played a melodious flute sound that intoxicated the audience. The bamboo flute maker said that now more and more people love bamboo flutes, and the number of people learning bamboo flutes is also expanding, and people of different ages are finding joy and solace in the music of bamboo flutes. He believes that the gentleman of the flute can understand the heart, enjoy the feelings, and get rid of the mortal. Author: Long Qiuguo