Adepts from Zhuhai in each of the ancient arts of traditional music, weaving, dance, and medicine have been selected as provincial intangible cultural heritage inheritors, the Department of Culture & Tourism of Guangdong Province announced late last week.

The four Zhuhai masters of Sanzao Folk Songs, Sanzao Weaving, Sanzao Crane Dance, and Sun's Stepping Lumbus & Meridian Energy Massage join the sixth group of such artists in the province.

Cai Liusen has been ardent about Sanzao Folk Songs for more than 60 years since he began learning them at the age 6. Some of his works with this provincial intangible cultural heritage appear in such publications as Sanzao Ballads and Sanzao Folk Songs.

Sanzao Folk Songs have been sung in Cantonese by generations of Sanzao islanders since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912). With a history of more than 150 years, the lyrics reflect the kindness, love of learning, and gumption of the Lingnan people of Southeast China.

Tang Hejia, representative inheritor of Sanzao Weaving

Tang Hejia, who has practiced Sanzao Weaving for over six decades, is capable of weaving more than 30 varieties of artifacts such as hand, gift, and fruit baskets, fisherman hats, dustpans, and fishing creels. The folk straw and bamboo weaving handicraft also contributes to a growing circular and tourism economy.

Tan Senrong, whose teachers Chen Fuyan and Yang Rihuan are also representative inheritors of Sanzao Crane Dance, promotes the state-level intangible cultural heritages in the Haicheng, Jinwan Number 1, and Haihua primary schools.

The dance can be traced back 700 years to the Song Dynasty (AD 420-479). It symbolizes wishes for immortality when door-to-door Lunar New Year visits are paid by people attired as dancing cranes.

Cranes are held dearly as a symbol of sanctity and longevity. The seven postures of the Crane Dance include Descending Upon the Door, Foraging, Washing Mouth, Resting, Playing Around, Homing, and Flying.

Li Donghong learned bone-setting manipulation and Sun's Stepping Lumbus & Meridian Energy Massage from Sun Chengxiang, professor at Dongzhimen Hospital of the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, from 1990 to 1991. She set up an inheritance base for the intangible cultural heritage along with Zhuhai Health School in September 2016.

A genre of traditional Chinese medicine massage, Sun's Stepping Lumbus & Meridian Energy Massage integrates stepping massage from the Book of Han, Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon, Golden Mirror of Medicine, and other classical medicinal references. It was recognized as a provincial intangible cultural heritage in 2018.

Sanzao Crane Dance [Photos provided by Zhuhai Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism & Sports Bureau to Guanhai App]