Basic Introduction to Lianghe Hulusi
Hulusi is a free reed aerophone. The Dai, De'ang, and Achang ethnic groups residing in Lianghe have had a profound cultural heritage for over a century, particularly the distinctively featured Hulusi (also known as Hulushao, called “Biliangdao” in Dai language), which has a long history in the predominantly Dai ethnic towns of Mangdong and Mengyang. Its origins can be traced back to ancient legends. Historically, the Hulusi art adopted advanced Han Chinese production tools and techniques relatively late, with slower development in productivity, entering the landlord economy stage later. On this foundation, the policies of “Reform through Replacement” were gradually implemented during the Ming and Qing dynasties, thereby integrating the social economy of the Dai people with seven other indigenous ethnic groups: Han, Achang, Wa, De'ang, Jingpo, Lisu.
Product Features
Hulusi is a free reed aerophone that retains the characteristics of ancient instruments, played using natural breathing or circular breathing techniques. With circular breathing, it can continuously produce tones in a fifth interval, with a beautiful and vivid sound. Hulusi consists of an intact miniature gourd, three purple bamboo tubes, and a metal reed. A 30-40 cm long bamboo tube serves as the main pipe, with seven finger holes (six on the front and one on the back). At the top of the main pipe, a copper reed is installed, covered by a small gourd. The gourd acts as a resonator, similar to a bellows, with a small tube inserted into its mouth as the blowpipe. The main pipe is directly inserted into the bottom of the gourd, with two auxiliary pipes on each side, without any finger holes, only producing harmonics that resonate with the main pipe.
When playing the Hulusi, the blowpipe faces upwards and is placed in the mouth, with the body held vertically. Fingers press the finger holes, with the left hand above, using the thumb to cover the back hole, while the index, middle, and ring fingers cover the three front holes on the upper part. The right hand covers the remaining three holes. When a continuous tone is not needed or a single sustained note is desired, the auxiliary pipes can be blocked. The sound of the Hulusi is soft, round, and graceful, evoking a sense of subtlety and haziness in a moonlit bamboo forest or a Dai stilt house, with its vibrato resembling the gentle fluttering of silk. In Dai language, Hulusi is called “Biliangdao” (De'ang: “Bigelbao,” Achang: “Pailaoweng”), meaning a wind instrument made from a gourd. Translated into Chinese, it was once named “Hulusheng” or “Hulushao.” Since it differs from the “Lusheng” of the Hani people and the “Xiao” (which lacks a reed), cultural workers standardized its name as “Hulusi.” There is another explanation that, in the early days after liberation, some cultural workers misheard the Dai pronunciation of “sheng” as “si” when listening to the less precise Chinese spoken by the Dai. Experts once proposed the name “Hulushao,” but it did not become widely accepted. Since the 1980s, following the promotion by professionals such as Gong Quanguo and Gen Dequan, the name “Hulusi” has become widely recognized and accepted.
Historical Folklore
According to legend, Hulusi originated a long time ago. By the Mengyang River, a young Dai couple fell in love. The young man planted bamboo, while the young woman grew gourds as tokens of their affection. One year, the Mengyang River flooded, submerging the village. To survive, the brave young man cut bamboo to make rafts, attaching gourds to them to increase buoyancy. However, the raft could not support both of them. To ensure her beloved's survival, the young woman jumped into the water. The young man eventually overcame the flood and survived, but his grief over losing his beloved was overwhelming, causing him to weep every day. He crafted an instrument from bamboo and a gourd, playing it every night to commemorate their past love. Additionally, in the Dai legend “Eyu and Sangluo,” there is a scene where a young man plays the Hulusi. Among the De'ang people, the most popular legend about the Hulusi is “The Lament of the Lusheng,” recounting the story of a young man named Kunsale and a young woman named Obimu. Their tragic tale has been commemorated through poetry and Hulusi melodies.
Manufacturing Method
The specific steps are:
1. Processing the Gourd: Soak it in water for six days, remove the seeds and scrape off the skin. After drying, evenly punch three holes at the bottom of the gourd to match the bamboo tubes.
2. Select Bamboo: Determine the length and thickness of the bamboo tubes based on the intended tuning. Bamboo that is straight, without cracks, and has uniform inner and outer diameters is preferred, with dried purple bamboo being the best option. Other types of bamboo can also be used, but they may change pitch more easily.
3. Punch Holes: Mark the positions of each note on the selected bamboo tubes using a pencil, then punch the holes.
4. Choose the Gourd: The size of the gourd should be proportional to the tuning and thickness of the bamboo tubes.
5. Make and Install the Reeds (omitted).
6. Tune: Use a tuning tool to adjust the pitches of each note, then secure the three bamboo tubes to the gourd with glue or white wax.
Throughout the process, the most technically demanding steps are making the reeds and tuning. Traditionally, silver reeds were used, but more commonly, reeds were made from “Ma Zike” (bullet casings) by hammering and scraping. Nowadays, in Gen Dequan's workshop, copper reeds are machine-pressed, holes are drilled using an electric drill, and tuning is done with a tuning tool. The raw materials for manufacturing Hulusi are easy to cultivate. Purple bamboo and gourds grow well in the South Asian tropical monsoon climate, characterized by minimal seasonal changes, mild winters, and cool summers, along with distinct wet and dry seasons. All the towns in Lianghe are suitable for growing purple bamboo and gourds. Planting gourds is typically done around the week of the Water Splashing Festival (Dai New Year), with harvest occurring in September to October. Purple bamboo is best planted during the rainy season and can be harvested for use after 2-3 years.