Three Nanyang inheritors win national accreditation

Three maestros from Nanyang have recently been recognized as the fifth set of national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The selection, which lasted two and a half years, consisted of multiple stages, including recommendation, investigation, expert review, and final announcement. Applicants have to be provincial intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors who have been committed to their craft for over 25 years.

Wang Guoqing, Liu Tiemin, and Wei Xiuju are experts in Fangcheng Stone Monkey, Wanbang Opera, and Xiping Folk Song, respectively, and were included on the new list of national-level intangible cultural heritage representative inheritors. They are believed to have wide-reaching influence in their respective domains and have played a significant role in passing down their crafts to later generations.

Fangcheng Stone Monkey is a traditional stone-carving art form that originated in Yanshanpu village during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Wang is the sixth-generation inheritor of the traditional carving technique, which includes mold-making, polishing, engraving, stewing, coloring, drying, and tung oil-smearing.

With a history of nearly 400 years, Wanbang Opera can be traced back to the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It is a type of Chinese opera that incorporates local folk songs and ballads, and has been passed down from generation to generation by Cheng Jiankun, Li Jianhai, Zhou Chengshun, Fan Yinglong, and finally to Liu Tiemin.

Xiping Folk Song originated in Xiping town, and takes on various forms such as mountain, work, love, life, and children's songs. Wei began learning Xiping folk singing from her father when she was young. More than 50 years later, she has perfected her skills in nearly 100 folk songs.