Yudu Suona "Gong-Po" Duet

Yudu suona "gong-po" duet is a folk instrumental art handed down for centuries in Yudu county, Jiangxi, found chiefly in Kuantian, Hefeng, Jingshi, Pangushan, Yinkeng, Ge'ao, Huanglin and Shaxin. Hakka shawm has a long lineage in Jiangxi; the "gong-po" style uses two shawms taking the roles of "husband" and "wife" to answer and harmonise, a style all its own. In 2008 "suona art (Yudu suona gong-po)" entered the second national ICH list.

Its playing pairs the "gong" (high shawm) with the "po" (low shawm), backed by gong and drum, with a rich set of tunes used for weddings, funerals, festivals and temple fairs; players often use circular breathing to sustain long passages, the music by turns brilliant and impassioned or gentle and lyrical, steeped in Hakka country feeling.

Yudu suona "gong-po" is a singular flower of Hakka folk instrumental music, carrying the ritual-music tradition of the Gannan Hakka, and holds real value for the study of Hakka custom and folk ensemble form.