The Hanfu Movement in Toronto
23 May 2012 1 Comment
in Hanfu Tags: multiculturalism
Originally submitted as sample paper to the Social Studies and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), University of Toronto, University of Hong Kong, Chinese University of Hong Kong during the period of November 2011 to April 2012.
Canadian multiculturalism: True mutual integration?
The Hanfu Revival Movement in Toronto
by: Juni L. Yeung
In April 2011, a fiasco arose with Conservative Party of Canada as Immigration Officer Jason Kenney was accused of ‘harbouring hateful sentiments’ towards ethnic minorities as the Party was organizing a photo op with Prime Minister Stephen Harper for the upcoming election. The arrangement was to organize twenty people wearing ethnic garb of their various origins, in order to show the Conservative Party’s support of diversity in the Canadian populace, but the plan was jeered by ethnic associations and other parties alike as ‘a kind of amateurish naivety’ and ‘the height of patronizing, pandering, and belittling the contributions of new Canadians’[1].
While this kind of political stunt is increasingly perceived as a superficial or patronizing action in the West, to the minds of the mainland Chinese, this is all normal and commonplace, as the People’s Republic often sported images and various media of its 56 officially recognized ethnicities, distinguished first and foremost by dress in its own propaganda. A pictorial guide to the recognized Chinese ethnicities, distinguished by dress is posted on the Chinese government portal website[2]. All of these recognized ethnicities are considered to be members of the greater “Chinese ethnicity”, or Zhonghua Minzu as promulgated by the government and taught in school curricula, its imagery are often put on public display, the most recently recognizable one being an event in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies[3]. Despite international and academic skepticism about the international recognition of the success or legitimacy of such an ethnic policy, it is ingrained into the common psyche of the mainland Chinese person, and following the process of emigration, such values are spread to Chinese diaspora communities.
However, as Canadian Chinese society is comprised of subgroups with distinctly different values and cultural contexts, their relation to this ‘mainlander’s issue’ takes on a kaleidoscope of variant interpretations to the necessity of recognizing, having, and wearing Hanfu, a dress otherwise extinct for over three centuries, as the representative ethnic dress of the Chinese people. More
Gr.12 Chinese girl sent home from school for wearing own ethnic clothes
01 May 2012 Leave a Comment
in Hanfu Tags: discrimination, Hanfu, Quju, Yongkang, Zhejiang
Originally submitted to the Anthropology Department, University of Toronto for ANT322H1 (Anthropology of Youth Culture), taught by Dr. Marcel Danesi, on April 4, 2012.
The Counter-Culturing of Tradition: The Struggle of Representation in the Han Chinese Clothing Revival Movement
By: Juni L. Yeung, University of Toronto
HU Shen is a Gr.12 high school student in Lizhou High School in Yongkang, Zhejiang Province. She came to school dressed in Hanfu on March 18, 2012 to promote Chinese culture, but was sent home by the authorities in the afternoon, sparking nationwide criticism online.
An Alien on Home Turf
On the evening of March 19, a message titled “A time-travelling girl shockingly appeared in Lizhou High School” was posted on Sina Weibo (the Chinese equivalent of Twitter), along with a picture of HU Shen walking down a school hallway, clad in a short-Quju robe and skirt while holding in both hands typical breakfast – a glass of soy milk and a zongzi (steamed rice wrapped in lotus leaf). Described as “a typical quiet Gr.12 student, with good marks and behaviour” in a private-run Zhejiang Province high school, she acted cool and unfazed as classmates and faculty alike went ballistic in reaction to her clothes.
When a Zhejiang Daily reporter tried to contact her by noon, the school authorities replied that Hu has been “invited away to lunch by the faculty”, and 10 minutes later received a text message from Hu herself: “I’m already on route home, the teacher has driven me home to change my clothes, and for certain reasons I cannot speak with you. My apologies.” Hu then refused to receive calls all afternoon, except for one text message from another local newspaper reporter, where she said she was “advised not to return to school for the day; and scared being home alone, will wander in town and probably stay at a relative’s place for the night.”[1]
Various levels of authorities displayed signs of deniability on the subject. Some staff from the school commented to the media, “Perhaps the school couldn’t accept a student dressed like this all of a sudden, and we need to have more communication.” Another faculty was quoted, “If other students came in dressed like Shi Huangdi (the First Emperor of China), you’d think that’d be weird, too.” The Zhejiang Ministry of Education stated in response, “I have never heard of situations where students wear Hanfu to school before. While many schools have set rules to forbid students from wearing strange and outlandish clothing, whether Hanfu counts as such is still up for debate.[2]”
Chinese netizens responded with outrage to the authorities’ attitude on the matter. A commenter from Shaanxi wrote, “As a Han Chinese, why can’t they wear their own traditional Han clothing? The school is mentally deranged to do this to the girl!” Another from Jiangsu wrote, “Ethnic minorities can wear their own [traditional] costumes out, so why not the Han, as long as they’re not interfering other people.” A Fujian commenter lamented, “This is how Chinese culture gets extinguished.[3]”
Hu’s actions were hardly random or uncommon. Since 2006, Chinese netizens have taken to the streets dressed in self-made or independently-produced Han robes, its designs dating prior to the Manchu Qing invasion of China in 1644. Their mission was to remind and convince the Chinese public to question their own perceptions and values tradition from an authenticity perspective, but have often been responded to with various degrees of resistance, mockery, and violence. The roots of this antagonism against practicing tradition stretch back to over a century ago, but the casus belli of the people taking direct action against the mainstream took place at the crossroads of China’s recent modernization program. More
TorGuqin Events for May 2012
27 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, and TorGuqin is happy to announce a series of public events in celebration of Chinese and Asian heritage for the appreciation of its fine cultural arts. Be sure to follow us and our exciting programming all around Toronto and the GTA!
All events are Free of admission.
1. (TorGuqin internal) Reception yaji for Liu Fang, Pipa Soloist
Toronto musicians welcome Montreal Pipa virtuoso Liu Fang to the city, where she will be performing in the George Ignatieff Theatre at UofT St. George Campus on Saturday, May 19th. As a friend of Chinese music, Liu has long appreciated the profound sounds of the qin, and we are eagerly looking forward a friendly evening to in sharing music and stories.
Date: Sunday, May 20, 2012
Location: Esther Zhang’s home/study
RSVP: Closed event
2. History of Chinese Clothing Seminar @ Agincourt Public Library
Why do ancient Chinese dress look so different with the modern ones? How do the Chinese use their clothing to represent the world? Are they always made of big silk sleeves?
Come learn about Hanfu, the REAL Chinese traditional clothing, at a special Asian Heritage Month seminar at Agincourt Public Library, presented by Juni Yeung of the Toronto Guqin Society! From its history to its different design types, you will also learn basics on how to make some of its most representative styles!
Date: Friday, May 25, 2012
Time: 11:30AM – 12 Noon (Please be on time)
Location: Agincourt Public Library, 15 Bonis Ave., Toronto, ON (Near Birchmount/Sheppard)
RSVP: Feel free to drop by!
** Addendum: Be sure to also check out Esther Zhang and the Toronto Ya-Yue Centre’s performances from 12-1PM as well! **
3. Guqin, Qin Song, and Kunqu Performance @ Carassauga 2012 China Pavilion
Carassauga Festival is the annual largest showcase of cultures which make up the diversity in the city of Mississauga. Experience 3 days and nights of exquisite cuisine, dance, and ethnic arts and crafts.
Toronto Guqin Society and the newly-formed Toronto Ya-Yue Art Center will be showcasing a 2-hour panel on various musical forms, taking everyone on an unforgettable cruise of the Chinese scene, from the ceremonial music of Imperial Courts and Confucius Temples, to the qin music in the gardens of literati scholars, to the pavilions of opera theatres and folk music in tea-houses!
Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Time: 10:00 PM to 11:30PM
Location: Franck McKechnie Community Centre, 310 Bristol Road East (Between Hurontario St. and Kennedy Rd.)
(Carassauga Shuttle Buses stop at this pavilion)
RSVP: Feel free to drop by, be on time!
Cost: Our show is free to the public. Costs may apply for shuttle buses, food etc.
Qin-strumming Etiquette, from Xilutang Qintong
09 Apr 2012 1 Comment
in Guqin Tags: Standards of the guqin, Xilutang Qintong
Fuqin Jue 《撫琴訣》
(Rules of Qin-Strumming)
By Wang Zhi, in Xilutang Qintong (1549), Folio IV;
Translated by Juni Yeung
Original Source of Fuqin Jue from Xilutang Qintong, Folio IV.
When playing the qin, regardless of whether there are people nearby, one must play as if facing your elders. Placing the qin to the front of you, the body must be upright, your energies and spirits at peace and settled.
Collect your heart and cut off all worries, focus on your emotions and intentions.
Fingers do not give false strikes, and strings do not give false rings.
One does not look at the right hand, but only listen to its sounds.
The eyes do not look elsewhere, nor the ears listen to anything else.
When the heart does not think other thoughts, that is when one achieves the meaning of the qin. It is essential to recognize the sentencing and phrasing of rhythm, while there mustn’t be too many pauses or stops. Li Mian [Tang era, 717-788CE] noted, “Yin [vibratos] and stops are well-measured, while slowness and speed are orderly. Hurriedly, but not messy. Leisurely, but not stopping. Neither hurriedly or leisurely, like drifting clouds and flowing water. This is the crucial essence.”
Use of fingers must include both flesh and nail, in order to give a crisp sound. Too much nail and the sound is scorched. Too much flesh and the tone is convoluted. Both left and right hands cannot over-exaggerate.
There are three types of sound on the qin: First is san (open), second is an (pressed), third is fan (harmonics). Each pluck is like breaking the strings but the fingers pluck shallowly. Pressing the strings into the wood are to be firm but strength cannot be seen. Fan sounds are to be played near the bridge, lightly touching the string where the hui marker is with a brief point [of the fingertip], and its sound shall be clear and rounded.
If the body wavers and the neck twists often, pandering left and right, looking up and down, or if the facial expressions change, it is as if one is ashamed.
Or, if one’s eyesight scurries about, panting in with heavy breath, without regulation in advances and retreats, with a lax spirit or form, it will reflect itself in form of sound. Although the fingerings are right, the resonances of the sound will be messy and it cannot conform to the Five [proper] Sounds.
Not tuning the strings properly, playing heavily when it should be played lightly, or playing quick when it should be slow – all of these are major diseases [faults] to playing.
The rule of playing the qin, is to be simple and clean. It is not in asking for one as a person to be calm, but in one’s hands. The throbbing of the fingers is called being raucous, while being concise, lightly-treading on a steady pace is called being calm.
It is unnecessary to wobble the [left] finger outside of the sound. Let the proper sound be harmonious and smooth, and that will be good.
For the Junzi [Superior Person] of antiquity creates [regulates] to the causes of matters, he attenuates himself to pleasuring the mind, or describes his heart with irony, or expresses his lone resentment to transmit his ambitions. Hence it [i.e. the music] is able to focus the essence of sincerity, and move the spirits and gods.
One may only know three or five etudes, but refine it to the limits of excellence. However students of our day, perceive ability by sheer quantity. Hence the idiom “Sheer quantity leads to lack of quality. Quality leads to less quantity.” May the Junzi who understands true sound [i.e. friends] pay attention to this.
Here we have the rules of playing qin. What is difficult to procure are the scores to the music, for they must be requested to be passed down from the masters. Furthermore, fingerings and rhythm cannot be exhaustively detailed in the work of writing, so when facing a manuscript to play, we often only get its sound, but its profound intricacies in tempo and rhythm are forgone. This is like having rough measuring tools – you have the drawn shapes, but it lacks the precision that fine tools give.
In more prosaic terms, any given piece can be roughly divided into three sections: First slow, then tense, and finally slack. From slow to tense to stop forms the motif to a piece of music.
Often times there are indications of “do two times from mark.” (從勾二作) Play through it plainly the first time, to finish off the motif from the last sentence. Pause, and in the second play-through, play it strongly. From playing strong and then easing gradually and finishing with a powerful strike-in, forms the continuation to the sounds afterward. One must make the front and back relate with each other, clearly differentiating the beginning from the end.
Another example is the “Perform three times with spaced gou.” (三作間勾, i.e. Da-jiangou) First play the two sounds, pause, then respond to the previous section with four sounds, and finish off with one powerful strike-in.
A nine-tone long chain (chang-suo, ) involves playing two sounds, pause, and finish off with seven strong notes. This induces rise and fall at the front and back, connecting the motifs by arteries and veins, leaving its resonance drifting as if fading but still slowly progressing, and then a jolt at the end.
From slow to tense, and from tense to leisurely, if control of fastness and slowness is appropriate, and yin [vibratos] and stops do not lose their degree, then naturally the strings will resonate with clear rings. Sounds should preferably be clear, aim for simple and calm, and must not be messy. This is how an elegant, antiquated motif of profound emptiness is.
And this is why the intricacies are so hard to attain for manuscripts then and now. So for those self-studying the qin, and have yet to receive transmission from a master, it is best to focus your mind and dedication and ponder on these words. Follow the fingerings according to the manuscript to the hands, meticulously and slowly, accumulate one sound onto the next, section unto section. After days and months of practice, the heart and intention will connect, and the hands will automatically do its job. Then, you will naturally attain mastery as the ancients have.
As proverb has it: “When practice is perfected, it is the same.” [Doctrine of the Mean, 20] The act of strumming the qin is precious in its accumulated progress, as prolonged experience leads to expertise. If one is eager and greedy for more, wanting for speed leads to one unable to arrive at the destination and all is then for naught, which must be avoided. I shall leave the essay on this note for students of the future to read, to dispel their anxious doubts. More
Recap: Some of TorGuqin’s Activities since Chinese New Year 4710
08 Apr 2012 Leave a Comment
in Guqin, Past Events
Before entering the main article, please note that there is an art exhibition and guqin demonstration by Esther Zhang, a local Chinese artist and qin player the coming Saturday, April 14, 2012 at 3PM. Please visit http://www.facebook.com/#!/events/303925063012798/ for more details.
***
Over the years, TorGuqin has posted many event announcements on the website regarding its activities — meetings, gatherings, demonstrations, performances…and it is only intermittently that pictures or reports are posted back. Does this mean that it didn’t take place?
Far from it.
Recently, we actually have been in more activities than described on our website (and Facebook event pages), to which thanks to Yanyan Zhu, we are now able to record our events on HD digital video in addition to our paper records of our gatherings and events. Since February 2012, TorGuqin members have performed in the Evergreen Farmer’s Market, given lectures on the qin and Chinese drama at the University of Toronto, received Dr. Keren Li from Nanjing, as well as Dr. Yip Mingmei from New York as an honoured guest to our gatherings.
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the word count of the following would be beyond millions.
Show me the commodity: Qin in the Toronto marketplace
09 Mar 2012 1 Comment
in Guqin
Previously we have discussed what kind of mental dedication and budget one needs to start a guqin curriculum in Toronto, but what about where do we get started? While the issue of lessons has an obvious solution (you ARE reading the qin society’s website, now!), procuring the instrument and supplies locally, is a different issue.
In Toronto, two famous stores that carry world musical instruments carry the qin – and both are located along Spadina Avenue.
Musideum is an elegant space where one can leisurely browse in the cozy-lighted, refined shop/performance space of Donald Quan, music composer and renowned musician. From hurdy-gurdy’s to clavichords to theremin, you can find it all here. Needless to say, they have some qins for sale, as well as various handbooks for it, including the Standards of the Guqin. You can also find metal-nylon strings on sale here.
The other place is Kensington Melody, located on Baldwin Street, just steps past Augusta Avenue after getting off of the streetcar stop for Kensington Market. Owned and operated by an energetic old Chinese man who co-authored a Romanian translation of Lao Tzu’s Daode Jing and an avid collector of Tibetan and Uighur instruments, furniture, and paraphernalia. Aside from a sizable stock of qins at a reasonable price range (just ask – they’re in the back), do spend time to examine the various trinkets, religious symbols, drums, and electric instruments that spill over into the cramped walkways. Metal-nylon and silk strings are available on sale here, as well as some qin scores and the Standards book. However, do bear with the somewhat dusty and cramped environment – bring a wiping rag if you want to try the qins out, just in case.
March Break: TQS welcomes Dr. YIP Mingmei to Toronto!
03 Mar 2012 Leave a Comment
in Guqin Tags: Tsar Teh-Yun, Yaji, Yip Mingmei
Dr. YIP Mingmei (PhD, Sorbonnes).
Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/events/288594354541344/
Date: Friday, March 16, 2012;
Time: 1600~1800h (4-6PM) yaji, followed by group dinner
Location: Quantum 2 North Tower, 2191 Yonge Street ,Toronto M4S 3H8 (Yonge/Eglinton Subway)
Cost: gathering FREE, dinner shared-pay
NOTE ON PUNCTUALITY: Please ensure all the participants should arrive not later than 15:45h (3:45PM) in the lobby and I will be there to meet all and head to the place at 3rd floor cuz only residents have access to use elevator so please ON TIME. –Jason Ye, venue
Toronto Guqin Society welcomes Dr. Mingmei Yip, reknowned guqin player and author on Chinese scholarly aesthetics. Her Chinese work “Guqin Yinyue Yishu” (Commercial Press, 1991) is a cornerstone reader for students and players alike in understanding the background and development of qin history and cultural values, and its links with the other scholarly arts.
Dr. Yip will be in Toronto during the March Break pre-weekend March 15-17, and we look forward to enjoying time with her, sharing music (of all kinds) and insights, followed by a dinner reception at a nearby restaurant.
Please RSVP via the Facebook event page or by response here by Saturday, March 10, 2012. Aside from guqins, we also welcome other chamber music instruments from all origins to join in the fun!
TQS Reading Week/Family Day Impromptu Gathering
15 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in TorGuqin Notices Tags: meetings, Yaji
Bummed out from the weather? Burned out in February? How about joining us for Family Day fun as we enjoy a casual afternoon of guqin playing, tea drinking, and idea-sharing with TQS and the Chinese Cultural Library of Canada?
Kudos to Ms. Sunny Sun for offering the venue for the upcoming event.
Details are as follows: (http://www.facebook.com/events/248416735241536/)
Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Time: 2PM to 5PM
Location: Chinese Cultural Library of Canada, Suite 205, 4433 Sheppard Ave. East, M1S 1V33636 Steeles Ave E, Markham, ON (Suite 202) << Location changed!
Fees: FREE.
Standup Collar for Dummies: Differentiating from the Mandarin Collar
06 Feb 2012 5 Comments
in Hanfu Tags: Chinese fashion, mandarin collar, Qipao
Female Standup collar Ao with red Beifeng coat. Made by Jinglian Mantang of Hangzhou.
Since its inception, the Hanfu movement has strived to differentiate the flowing robes of the Han Chinese with the vestimentary products of the Qing Empire as totally different concepts. Yet, when we talk of the greatest feature of Qing and post-Qing Chinese clothing – the Mandarin standup collar – we cannot avoid that this is in fact a Han Chinese creation. Given the popular notion of Han female garb left unchanged from the “Ten exceptions” in the Queue Order, is there ultimately really a difference among Hanfu collars and Manchu-Qing collars?
To understand the evolution of the standup collar, let us look at the origins of Manchu clothing design: Collars that wrap around the neck are non-existant, and to protect the neck, scarves or separate collars are added. Han designs are differentiated from Manchu designs by maintaining an attached collar on tops for women, but due to the differences in collar shape, the short collar design in Hanfu was the only viable solution to Qing designs.
When laid flat or hung, a Hanfu standup collar reverts to a shortened cross collar shape. Clothing and photo from Minghua Tang, 2011 catalogue.
In contrast to the rounded Mandarin collars from the Qing to the present time, Hanfu standup collars insist on metal locks, wipe across the neck without any rounded corners, and when laid flat, the collar reverts to a shortened cross-collar piece, and gives generous room for the neck because of extra space given by the metal locks holding the collar back open rather than pulling it together.
Fast forward to today: Although now we know that the standup collar is not a Manchu innovation but a Chinese one, there is still some reservation by the Hanfu circle about wearing this design in the promotion of Hanfu. As an ‘alternative’ design that only existed in the final days of the Ming, some consider the collar design as ‘period dress’, while others consider it as being too different from conventional Hanfu collar archetypes and should be avoided to prevent confusion to outsiders who have little idea about the clothing. Nonetheless, the standup collar long Ao has a dedicated support base among female Hanfu wearers as winter fashion, and they often boast of delicate gold or silver embroidery, lavish brocades, and fancy metal snaplocks. Following Ming conventions, this Ao is considered casual (or sharp/’posh’ casual) and is not worn as the outermost layer except for display purposes.
Now that we see that the standup collar is a byproduct of the Chinese cross-collar, how is a piece actually produced? It is not much different in construction from a Ru or Ao top as taught in previous tutorials, but with a shorter collar piece. Because of the metal locks, the natural curve of the top edge does deform a little in the wearing of the piece, but the construction of the piece should not make adjustments because of it. Below is an illustrated guide to the construction of the standup collar top. More
Some Pictures from the Evergreen Farmer’s Market Performance
26 Jan 2012 1 Comment
in Past Events Tags: Chinese New Year, Evergreen Brick Works
A very big thank you to all those who came out in show of support last Saturday at Evergreen Brick Works, and a warm welcome and Happy New Year to all our new friends since then. We wish you a happy and safe Year of the Water Dragon, and without further ado, let us review the events of that day:
January 21, 2012 Evergreen Brick Works Performance Itinerary
First Session: 30 mins
Yayue – Book of Songs – Lu Ming (8 mins) TQS
(Intro speech: New Year, about Hanfu – 3~4 mins) Juni Yeung
Guqin Solo – Pei Lan (7 mins) Juni Yeung
Suona – Hua Mulan (5 mins) – Gongyu Xu
Guqin + Group Song – Guanshan Yue (3 mins) Esther Zhang, TQS group
Second Session: 30 mins
Yayue – Book of Songs – Si Mu (7 mins) TQS
(Welcome back speech: New Year, about Yayue – 3~4 mins) Juni Yeung
Guqin Solo – Longxiang Cao (7 mins) – Yanyan Zhu
Sheng Solo – Fenghuang Zhanchi (4 mins) Gongyu Xu
Dizi – Gusu Xing (5 mins) – Frederick M.H. Yiu
Kudos to Yanyan Zhu and Bill Wilson for photography.
Happy New Year 4710!
22 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in TorGuqin Notices Tags: Chinese New Year
This is an Official Announcement of the TQS.
願在壬辰之歲,天地定位，陰陽協和。星辰順度，日月昭明。寒暑應候，雨暘以時。山岳靖謐，河海澄清。草木蕃廡，魚鱉咸若。家和戶寧，衣食充足。禮讓興行，教化修明。風俗敦厚，刑罰不用。華夏歸仁，四夷賓服。邦國鞏固，宗社尊安。景運隆長，本支萬世。
We wish you:
In the year of Yin-shen the Yang Water Dragon, Heaven and Earth sets its place, Yin and Yang is in harmony. The stars and constellations are in order, the sun and moon shine brightly. Heat and cold reflect the seasons, rain and shine come in timely schedule. Mountains and valleys are safe and tranquil, the rivers and seas are clear and calm. Trees and foliage manifest, fish and whales are prosperous. Families are happy and clans at peace, clothing and food be abundant. Ritual and propriety take its place, and civilization enlighten us all. May human nature be honest, and not have to resort to punishment. May Huaxia return to its humane doctrine, and foreigners from the four directions be impressed. Land and country be strong, the ancestral lineage be respected and kept safe. May good fortune be everlasting, and continue like a tree into the future.
***
As usual, Toronto Guqin Society is involved in the production and events of Hanfu Chunwan. Be sure to go over and check out their ever more impressive lineup of shows and events on Chinese culture!
Also, we have completely uploaded the 3 pieces of the Shijing Yuepu performed series onto Youtube. You can see them by reading more below.
Thank you for your support and participation with Toronto Guqin Society, and stay in touch for further event updates. If you have any requests for when/where to hold gatherings, please also feel free to leave a reply or send an email to Juni Yeung at jt_revolution@hotmail.com.
Xilutang Qintong Vols. 6-8 subject of 2013 National Dapu Conference
10 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Guqin Tags: conference, dapu
WANG Zhi's Xilutang Qintong, first published in Ming Jiajing Year 28 (1549). Originally 25 folios.
Source: http://www.chineseguqin.org/news_read.php?no=2513
Translator’s Note: Xilutang Qintong is one of the most comprehensive and ambitious project and achievement in premodern qin music publication history. Containing 170 pieces including 19 with lyrics, it is by far the largest single manuscript collection of existant qin music to date. Tianwenge Qinpu in 1876 comes in second, with 145 melodies.
What makes this book especially precious, asides from the surviving original being a handcopied version stored by Li Yunzhong of Tianjin with Folio 5 (including fingering index and L/R hand explanations) now lost, is the 75 unique or sole surviving versions of melodies not found in any other manuscript. Of the 29 modal themes in 14 different tunings, half of the tunings are unique to the melodies in this book. In summary, there is no overstatement to the musicological and historical importance of this collection, which the author has spent the majority of his life scouring the Ming landscape in search and editing for this compendium.
The contents regarding the upcoming dapu conference can be found in Qinqu Jicheng (QQJC) 2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 60-90. On the commonly-shared PDF file, they are on pp.72-102.
*** More
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