Chaozhou Music

Chaozhou music is the collective name for the folk instrumental music of the Chaozhou region; its sources reach back to the Tang and Song and it matured under the Ming and Qing. It entered the first batch of national ICH in 2006.

It is richly varied — gong-and-drum music, 'string-poem' ensembles, fine music, flute suites and temple music — led by the erxian and coconut fiddle, yangqin, suona and the Chaozhou big gongs and drums, its local flavour shaped by the 'light, heavy, lively, reverse' modal shifts and the urging 'cui' technique.

Born alongside deity-parades, festival rites and everyday gatherings, it is the sounding portrait of Chaoshan folk life and spirit, and travelled overseas with the Chaozhou diaspora.

It can be heard at the old town's temple fairs, deity-parades and amateur music-society gatherings, the big gong-and-drum ensemble being especially stirring.