It has a long history. The musical instruments used in the Han area are divided into literary and military instruments, the orchestra is huge, and the music style is beautiful, simple and elegant. It is named after the Taoist scripture "Wenchang Dadong Immortal Sutra". The Taoist scriptures are divided into three caves, namely Dongzhen, Dongxuan and Dongshen. They were passed down by the three pure gods of Taoism respectively, so the Taoist scriptures are called Dongjing. It plays music that sings hymns from scriptures, so it is called Dongjing music. Dongjing music originated in Pengxi County, Sichuan Province, and its founders are Liu Ansheng and Wei Qi.
Liu Ansheng was a native of Pengxi County, Sichuan Province in the Southern Song Dynasty. In the fourth year of Qiandao's reign (1168), five volumes of "Wenchang Dadong Immortal Sutra" were compiled at Yuxu Altar in Baoping Mountain (now Chicheng Mountain) in Pengxi County, which was widely circulated in society. Because of his performance of "Wenchang Dadong Immortal Sutra", he formed the famous Dong Sutra music at home and abroad. Liu Ansheng is the founder of Dong Sutra music.
Wei Qi, a native of the Yuan Dynasty, was named Zhong Yangzi and lived in seclusion in Penglai Mountain, Pengxi County, Sichuan Province. He was good at Taoism when he was young, and he was able to discern mysteries. He once served as a military and civilian commander in Qijiang, Nanping and other places. In the early Yuan Dynasty, Wei Qi annotated Liu Ansheng's "Wenchang Dadong Immortal Sutra" in Penglai Mountain, Pengxi County, Eastern Sichuan. In the third year of the Yuan Dynasty (1310), Wei Qi dedicated his "Wenchang Dadong Immortal Sutra Commentary" to Yuan Wuzong, and was rewarded and became famous. His book has been widely circulated throughout the country and has become the main text of Dongjing music in Yunnan, Sichuan and other provinces. Wei Qi made great contributions to the emergence and spread of Dongjing music. Yang Zuoji, governor of Henan Province in the Ming Dynasty and a native of Yi, said in "Record of the Construction of Shiyushan Academy": "Yangzi in Penglai Mountain once annotated the "Dadong Immortal Sutra"." This is the earliest record of Wei Qi's annotation of "Dadong Immortal Sutra" in Penglai Mountain, Pengxi County, Sichuan Province. The documents of "Classic" are included in the Qing Jiaqing edition of "Sichuan Tongzhi". Dong Jing music is a living fossil of music and has been recognized by UNESCO as a precious intangible cultural heritage of all mankind.
"Huaping County Cultural and Historical Materials·Second Series" says: Dongjing music was introduced to Dali from Sichuan in the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1409). "Nanjian County Literary and Historical Materials Volume 1" also says: It was introduced to Dali from Sichuan in the seventh year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, and then spread from Dali to various parts of Yunnan. "Tonghai County Data" also said that it was introduced from Sichuan. "The Music of the Dali Cave Sutra: Preface" states: In the 13th year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty (1534), Dali and Xiaguan sent people to Sichuan to practice the Dadong Immortal Sutra and brought back two copies of the Immortal Sutra each. Although there are differences in time between the four theories, they are all clearly introduced from Sichuan. These statements are relatively reliable. For reference, Yunnan Tongzhi compiled by Li Yuanyang of the Ming Dynasty can be used as a reference. This book records the situation of Wenchang Palace in various states and counties in Yunnan in the early Ming Dynasty. Wenchang Palace is the base camp of Dong Jing Hui activities, and Dong Jing music is played here. The book contains: Kunming Wenchang Palace is outside the west gate. Zitong Temple in Chuxiong is outside Renfu Gate in the west of the city. Wuding Wenchang Temple is located in the old government. Heqing Wenchang Temple is located in the South Taixuan Palace of Fuzhi. Yongsheng Zitong Temple is located in the south of the state. Baoshan Wenchang Temple is located at the foot of Taihe Mountain in the west of the city. It was built by Lin Jun, the deputy envoy during the Hongzhi period. In the spring and autumn of the year, sacrifices are held on the fourth day after Shangding. There are also temples in Tengyue Prefecture. Fengqing Wenchang Temple is located three miles northeast of Fuzhi and was built by Meng Yin, the local official prefect during the Jiajing period. It can be seen that Wenchang Palace was already common before Jiajing. "Yao'an County Chronicles·Volume 55" compiled by Yunlong, a scholar of the Republic of China, records that they are found in all counties of the Economic Association of Yunnan Province. Since the Ming Dynasty, Yao Yi has established a society to worship Wenchang, singing satirical songs about Dong Jing, Huang Jing, etc., in order to pray for peace. An altar was also set up in the room to preach holy edicts and guide the ignorant. He was a tributary of Taoism. However, most of the believers are scholars, so every session is held with graceful etiquette and music. The ancient etiquette and music have been preserved in the book. Yao Yi Jinghui was founded in Dongshan Laohui (originally in Baihe Temple). In the late Ming Dynasty, serving people at banquets began with Guixiang Society in the city. In the early Qing Dynasty, Geng Yuqi traveled to Jiangsu and Zhejiang, practiced music and taught a lot. At the beginning of Guangxu's reign, Ma Siliang was deorganized and returned from eastern Zhejiang. He refined the music scores and went to Guanglu Society to correct the music. Guixiang Society also copied it. Since then, Yao An's music has returned to elegance and integrity. Musical instruments include zither, lute, pipe, bell, drum, cymbal, and cymbal. The amount of funds and items varies from club to club, and they are all kept by the correctional instrument, which is rotated every year. Those who join the club first are called seniors, and those who are younger are called seniors. When I entered the society, I felt that the elders and children were in order, the etiquette was polite, the atmosphere was elegant, and the society was familiar. Yang Luqian's "Zhaotong County Chronicles" (Volume 6) records: Dongjing Altar, its teachings were transmitted from Shengyuan, mainly talking, performing and chanting, supplemented by music. Anyone who prays for good weather, rain, Christmas, celebrations, or salvation, all of them have their own sutras, mixed with Buddhist teachings, and attached to the altar, all belong to men, and there are no women. These records show that Yunnan's Dongjing music had begun to flourish in the Ming Dynasty, and other theories are just variants introduced from Sichuan.
The Qing Dynasty was the heyday of Dongjing music’s popularity, development, prosperity and integration in Yunnan. In more than 120 counties across the province, large villages and towns with large populations have various Dongjing bands holding regular activities.
Moreover, the organization is sound and activities have been standardized, institutionalized and regularized. And with the whereabouts of the caravan, it has gradually spread to Myanmar and Vietnam. Due to social unrest in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, people from Chuxiong, Dali, Baoshan and Tengchong in western Yunnan moved to Myitkyina and Mandalay in Myanmar to do business. People from Mengzi, Gejiu, Shiping and Jianshui in southern Yunnan came to Vietnam, and Dongjing music flowed into other groups and took root among the Chinese. The Yunnan people left their hometown and missed their relatives even more during the festivals. During the festivals, they opened their scriptures and played musical instruments. The sweet and sweet local music made many Chinese shed tears of missing their homeland...
During the Republic of China , Dongjing music is still performed throughout Yunnan. Even before Tang Jiyao went out to attack Yuan Shikai, he invited the provincial capital Dongjing to hold Buddhist talks and sacrifice flags. On the eve of liberation, there were still eight or nine Dongjing bands in Kunming. After Yunnan was liberated, a group of Dongjing elders headed by Peng Youshan established the "Ancient Music Research Association" to carry out the work of collecting and organizing music scores.