Is the erhu a world cultural heritage?

Erhu is an intangible cultural heritage.

Erhu art (Jiangnan Sun's erhu art), is a national intangible cultural heritage. on May 24, 2021, was included in the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative project list.

Cultural relics protection on October 31, 2023, the "national intangible cultural heritage representative project protection unit list" was announced, erhu art (Jiangnan Sun's erhu art) project protection unit of the Shanghai Fengxian District Museum of Culture (Shanghai Fengxian District Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Inheritance Center) assessed qualified.

The introduction of the erhu art to university campuses has changed the erhu art from the traditional teaching of teachers and apprentices to a systematic and scientific education model, which plays an important role in the inheritance and development of the erhu in China. At the same time, the art of erhu has also spread to other countries through the media for more people to enjoy. However, because the overall audience of erhu is getting smaller and smaller, the inheritance and development of the art of erhu is still very limited.

Musical styles and expressiveness of the erhu:

The erhu, as a national musical instrument with a long history, possesses a variety of musical styles and expressiveness. From the point of view of playing techniques and repertoire subjects, it can be divided into the following aspects:

Solo style: erhu solo is a pure form of playing, which can fully display the unique tone and techniques of erhu. In solo performance, the player can show different emotions and moods through various techniques, such as soaring and falling, delicate and gentle, cheerful and easy, and so on.

Ensemble style: In the Erhu ensemble, players need to work together to show the rhythm and harmony of the music. Erhu is often combined with other instruments, such as with pipa, guzheng, flute, percussion, etc., to form diverse musical styles.

Themes of repertoire: The erhu's repertoire is very rich and varied, including those that express the philosophy and emotion of life, such as "Reflecting the Moon in the Two Springs," "High Mountains and Flowing Water," "Ambush on Ten Sides," and so on, and those that express the traditional culture and the national sentiments, such as "Racing Horses," "War Horses in Full Swing," "Ode to the Motherland," and so on.

Expression: The erhu has a wealth of playing techniques, and the player can express different musical emotions by stroking the strings, trilling, sliding, chord and other techniques. At the same time, the player's playing style, speed and strength will also affect the erhu's expressiveness, thus making the music more colorful.

So the erhu has a very rich musical style and expressiveness, and it is able to express a variety of emotions and moods, which makes it an important part of traditional Chinese music.

Reference for the above: Baidu Encyclopedia-Erhu Art (Jiangnan Sun's Erhu Art)