The Zhuang Tianqin art of China thrives primarily in the Sino–Vietnamese border regions, particularly in Longzhou, Pingxiang, Ningming, and Dongxing of Guangxi Province, among which Longzhou County represents the most distinctive expression of this tradition. The Tianqin—also known as “Dingding”—is a plucked chordophone of the Guangxi Zhuang ethnic group. For centuries, it has functioned as a sacred medium for communication between the Zhuang people and celestial spirits. Its bright, ancient timbre, intertwined with Zhuang vocal chant traditions, has long resonated through sacred occasions such as village rituals and blessings.
With the advent of urban modernization, the Tianqin has gradually lost its ritual function, and Tianqin music has been submerged beneath the proliferation of diverse musical forms. As a result, this once-vital art has experienced a decline in vitality. How, then, can Tianqin music be heard, appreciated, and revitalized once again? Originating from Guangxi, the musical ensemble “Dingding” has reinterpreted Tianqin music by transforming it into Zhuang-language popular songs and performing them in a modern band format. Their creative work integrates popular instruments such as the guitar and drum set, while also incorporating Zhuang-language rap, thereby crafting an innovative sonic experience that merges traditional timbres with contemporary musical aesthetics.
From the perspective of the popularization of traditional music, this study seeks to explore how the Dingding Ensemble redefines the timbral and textural functions of the Tianqin through its hybridized creative process; how Zhuang audiences perceive and evaluate the ensemble’s popularized reinterpretation of Tianqin music; and how the Tianqin tradition, through processes of rewriting and reshaping, acquires new social functions and cultural meanings within contemporary contexts.