EDUCATIONAL TRANSMISSION AND CULTURAL INHERITANCE OF THE LONGLIN MIAO YUEQIN IN GUANGXI, CHINA

Abstract

This study examines the educational transmission and cultural inheritance of the Longlin Miao Yueqin in Guangxi, China. A qualitative research design was employed, drawing on ethnomusicology, music education, and cultural inheritance perspectives. Participants were selected through purposive sampling and included local intangible cultural heritage inheritors. Data were collected through literature review, interviews, participant observation, audio-visual recording, and the collection of related musical and cultural materials. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis and thematic analysis, focusing on education, literacy, transmission, cultural functions, and intangible cultural heritage preservation. The findings reveal that the Longlin Miao Yueqin functions as an important medium of Miao cultural education, literacy, and transmission. It is not used as a principal instrument in major funerary or sacred rituals, but appears in minor ritual occasions as auxiliary accompaniment, reflecting clear cultural boundaries and performance etiquette. It also plays an important role in festivals, weddings, youth courtship, and village gatherings, where it supports social interaction, emotional expression, and community cohesion. In addition, Yueqin making, performance, and cultural tourism contribute to the local cultural economy. Through village apprenticeships, school education, university lectures, and community activities, the Longlin Miao Yueqin transmits traditional repertoires, performance techniques, Miao history, dialectal expression, clan values, and ethnic identity. The study concludes that the sustainable development of the Longlin Miao Yueqin requires the preservation of traditional techniques and cultural meanings together with appropriate educational innovation.