Many people may have heard the music “Er Quan Ying Yue”, which sounds very infectious and can immediately make people feel the very sad emotions in it. But probably not many people know the author of this music, his name is Blind Abing. This name doesn’t sound like his real name, so what is the original name of blind man Abing? Why is he called Blind Abing by people? Besides “The Moon Reflects in Two Springs”, what other famous music works does he have? What was the life of blind man Abing like, and why was he able to create such inspiring music works? In fact, all of this is inseparable from the life experience of blind man Abing. Today, let’s learn about it together.
1. Introduction to the character of Blind Abing
Abing (August 17, 1893- December 4, 1950), originally named Hua Yanjun, was born in Wuxi City. He was a folk musician and a Taoist of the Zhengyi sect. He became blind due to eye disease.
Abing diligently studied Taoist music, striving for excellence, and extensively absorbed the melodies of folk music. Throughout his life, he created and performed over 270 pieces of folk music. His father Hua Qinghe was the head Taoist of the Lei Zun Hall in the Sanqing Hall Taoist Temple in Wuxi City, and was skilled in Taoist music. Hua Yanjun lost his mother at the age of 4 and was raised by his aunt of the same clan. At the age of 8, he worked as a young Taoist in the Leizun Hall with his father. I started studying in a private school for 3 years and later learned instruments such as drums, flutes, erhu, pipa, etc. from my father. At the age of 12, I am able to play various musical instruments and often participate in activities such as repentance, chanting scriptures, and playing music. At the age of 18, he was praised by the Taoist music community in Wuxi as a skilled performer. On December 4, 1950, Abing passed away at the age of 57.
Abing currently preserves six erhu songs, including “Moon Reflected in Erquan”, “Listening to Pine Trees”, “Cold Spring Breeze Song”, and pipa songs, including “The Great Waves Sweeping the Sand”, “Dragon Boat”, and “Zhaojun Leaving the Frontier”.
2. The life experience of blind man Abing
Abing’s life is full of dramatic twists and turns. It is said that the only surviving image of his life is a standard photo from the “Certificate of Good Citizen” during the Japanese puppet rule in Wuxi. The middle-aged man wearing blind glasses in the photo is described as emaciated, with a face beneath a tattered felt hat that reveals the hardships and vicissitudes of life. Perhaps the hardships that fate brought to Abing were the reason for his inspiring music. This illegitimate child of Huaqinghe was born deprived of the right to family love. When his birth mother reluctantly ended her own life to resist secular discrimination, some hidden parts of this child’s personality were already visible. The young man who had been in foster care for several years returned to his biological father Hua Qinghe’s side, and perhaps there were more puzzled doubts in what he saw. From the information, it is known that he called ‘Master’ to his father, who was a Taoist priest. Huaqing and self proclaimed Xuemei are proficient in various musical instruments. Abing diligently studied and practiced, and soon became proficient in playing various musical instruments such as erhu, sanxian, pipa, and flute. At this moment, Abing still considers himself an orphan who has been taken care of by kind-hearted people. However, when he reached the age of 21, Abing suddenly understood his background before passing away due to illness in Huaqing.
Hua Yanjun, the newly appointed head Taoist priest of the Lei Zun Hall in the Dongxu Palace of the Taoist Temple in Wuxi City, seems to be letting go, eating, drinking, prostitution, gambling, and even smoking opium. The absurd life brought absurd results: because syphilis harmed him, he became blind and lost control over the Taoist temple. After wandering on the streets, the tribe arranged for Dong Caidi, a rural widow from Jiangyin, to take care of him. The world is inherently contradictory. Abing, in pain and despair, did not break the jar or fall. In the days to come, a creative folk artist known as “Blind Abing” emerged, performing on the streets and singing current events.
Abing created his most touching music during this period of making a living by performing. There are many stories about the spread of the erhu song “Er Quan Ying Yue”. It is said that Li Songshou, a professor at Nanjing Normal University, was a neighbor of Abing when he was a child. In his youth, he loved erhu and often received guidance from Abing on playing techniques. Later, he was admitted to the Department of Folk Music at Nanjing University of the Arts. It was very cold every day, so he moved his fingers outside the teacher’s piano room and casually pulled a piece of music taught by Abing. At the end of the song, someone came over and asked him what song he was playing. The teacher told him that the gentleman who asked him was Professor Yang Yinliu from the Central Conservatory of Music. Li Songshou said that this piece of music was taught by a folk artist in his hometown and has no name. Yang Yinliu said this song is good and that they are collecting folk music and want to use a newly imported wire recorder from abroad to record such good folk music. Li Songshou and Professor Yang had arranged to return to their hometown until September, when Yang Yinliu, Cao An, and two other professors arrived in Wuxi. The task they brought this time is to record Taoist music in Wuxi. After recording these Taoist music, Li Songshou insisted on inviting them to record Abing’s music. After Abing finished playing a song, Professor Yang Yinliu asked softly for the name of the piece, but Abing said it didn’t have a name. Professor Yang said it’s not possible without a name, we need to come up with one. Abing continued, ‘Let’s call it’ Erquan Yinyue ‘.’. Professor Yang also said that the name ‘Yin Yue’ is too similar to Guangdong music. How about calling it Yingyue? Is there Yingshan Lake in Wuxi? Abing said, ‘Okay, you have a lot of knowledge, so I’ll listen to you.’.
Regarding this matter, Mr. Li Songshou wrote in his memoir article: On September 2, 1950, my wife and I accompanied Yang Yinliu, Cao An, and two other gentlemen to record with Abing. The recording only began at 7:30 pm that day. During the recording, Abing’s poor health and lack of manual dexterity, coupled with the need to find a temporary instrument, resulted in the preservation of “Er Quan Ying Yue” which did not produce the best performance. Abing’s last performance was on September 25, 1950, which was the 23rd day after the recording, and it seemed to be a cultural performance at the founding ceremony of the Wuxi Dental Association. Abing supported his sick body and went out. As he walked slowly, the performance was almost over when he arrived at the venue. I helped Abing onto the stage and sat in front of the microphone. This is Abing’s first and only time performing in front of a microphone in his life. At first, Abing played the pipa, but later someone in the audience called for Abing to play the erhu. My wife and I advised Abing to take care of his health and not to play. Abing said, “I play the qin for the villagers in Wuxi, and I am willing to die.” Then he started playing “The Moon Reflects in the Two Springs,” which he had played countless times. I remember the whole room was filled with people, even the windows were full of people standing. At the end of the performance, there was continuous applause and cheers from the audience, and Abing took off his hat and nodded to signal when he heard it.
What kind of person is Blind Abing
Abing’s life cannot be fully expressed by any single adjective.
Born in 1893 on a quiet night with the daughter of a Taoist priest and a commoner, his mother passed away at the age of 4, and the Taoist priest adopted Abing. Father and son are referred to as master and disciple, and Abing does not know that his master is his father. In the following seventeen years, Abing demonstrated astonishing musical talent, proficient in instruments such as drums, flutes, erhu, pipa, etc., and was known as the “Little Celestial Master” at that time.
In 1918, his father passed away, and Abing inherited the Taoist temple, but also learned that his master was his biological father. Starting to inhale toxic substances and engage in a series of lewd activities until his Taoist temple business went bankrupt. Started a street art life for over twenty years.
In 1927, Abing contracted a virus due to improper behavior, resulting in blindness in both eyes. But Abing still relied on his exquisite skills to make a living, and two years later he married a commoner girl to take care of himself. Until his death in 1950.
His experience being compared to Beethoven internationally speaks for itself.
Quoting a sentence from “Erquan Yingyue: Eighteen People Evaluate Abing”: Blind Abing has lived in the dark and low places of society and the world for a long time. However, it is precisely because of this complex ‘low’ that he brews and ultimately dedicates eternal music that touches the heartstrings of humanity.
We cannot determine whether Abing is an indomitable person or a self indulgent person. But this cannot stop Abing from being revered as a god in our hearts. He is the most powerful grassroots erhu artist.
