The Study Of Gushan Diao-the Chinese Buddhist Chants In Taiwan

The dissertation has studied the historical origins and musical traits of Gushan Diao,one of the Chinese Buddhist Chants in Taiwan.Based on field study,the research has made use of comparative methods and other research methods relevant to studies on Chinese traditional music structures and Ulka-mukha ceremony is taken as one main study case.The study presents the characteristics of the melody,the chants style and the rituals of Gushan Diao in the horizontal comparison between Gushan Diao and Haichao Yin.There are both differences and similarities in the melody and the chants style between them.The melody of Gushan Diao is plainer and the style is more lovely and more cheerful.It's worldly and amusing.In contrast,the melody of Haichao Yin is circumlocutory,which has the characteristics of less words,more aria.It is very slow and often uses the grace notes so that its style is florid and sacred for worshiping Buddha.Their similarities is mainly reflected in the melody and the Buddhist ceremonies of Zanzi,which can be found in Tianning Temple or Baohua Mountain in Jiangsu.The differences can be accounted for by their different origins,backgrounds,inheritors and the ideas of chanting.The similarities are closely related to the mode of music transmission and the institution transmission,which have resulted from more communication and integration of them.The rituals of Gushan Diao are obviously affected by Haichao Yin.The inheritance and variation of Gushan Diao's from Fuzhou Diao and other Folk Music of Fujian has been studied by means of comparison.The inheritance of Gushan Diao from Fuzhou Diao is reflected in the Mandalas,the instruments,hand gestures,the roles of Vajra Master and the speed of the ceremony.The inheritance of the melody is reflected in the musical structure,the falls of notes,scale and tonality,the main three series of tone,the characteristics of the melody and rhythm,Range and register etc.The inheritance reflects the Cultural identity,and the variations are the means of the cultural adjustment.The reasons for Gushan Diao's emergence and development are presented in the last part of the dissertation,which is analyzed with internal and external principles of dialectical materialism.The internal reasons include the naming of Gushan Diao,the adjustment of Fuzhou Diao and the traits of the fusion of Buddhism in Fujian and the folk religions.The external reasons lie in the multicultural backgrounds in which the Chinese culture is the main body and the spiritual demand of Taiwan people is another part.Gushan Diao has developed in its own way with the combined affection of the internal and external forces.