Naxi people
CCTV.COM (07.07 2003 15:08)
For evening entertainment, you can go to watch some Naxi music being performed. The evening is hosted by the legendary old Naxi man, Xuan Ke.
This is no ordinary music. It's composed of two types of archaic forms. One is called Baisha Xiyue, the traditional Naxi music. The other type is "Dongjing Music" or Cave Scripture Music, which has its roots in Taoist and Buddhist ritual music. The Naxi adopted it after the Tang Dynasty, that is, nearly 1,000 years ago. The music was very popular during the 13th and 14th century, but was forgotten and abandoned by most Chinese in the central region of the country.
Fortunately, it has been kept alive by Naxi musicians in this corner of China. In 1981, Xuan Ke organized some old Naxi musicians and established this band, beginning his effort to preserve the ancient sound of music.
Son of a Tibetan mother and Naxi father, Xuanke is fluent in both Mandarin and English. His commentary is a Chinese music history lesson wrapped up in plenty of jokes. Occasionally he switches to English for the few foreign ears in the audience. The music and his explanation compliment each other.
Most of the players in his troupe are in their sixties, seventies, or even eighties. So it's ancient music, played on old instruments by elderly musicians.
But Xuanke is not your only choice for the night. Right across the street from Xuanke's show, there is another stage presenting Dongba music and dance. Here you get to see more dancing of the various ethnic groups in the region. The show is exuberant, full of strong colors and enthusiasm.
Also in this music hall, I found a Dongba, priest of the Naxi people's long-standing religion. He was offering calligraphy done in Dongba hieroglyphics.
The Dongba character of a warrior is made of a man with a flag on his head and a spear in his hand. The motto goes: for a real warrior, there is no true enemy. With explanation, the hieroglyph is not difficult to understand because there is a reason behind each drawing. It's believed this is the last hieroglyphic style still alive in the world today.
Editor:Han
