Suzhou Taoist Music (Changshu Taoist Music), one of the first batch of Suzhou Taoist Music expansion projects in Suzhou City, and a traditional music project in the sixth batch of Suzhou City-level representative projects of intangible cultural heritage. Changshu Taoist Music is an important part of Suzhou Taoist Music. It is mainly concentrated in Guli, Dongbang, Bixi Dongzhang, Zhitang, etc., and its influence spreads to surrounding counties and cities as well as Wuxi, Shanghai and other places. Changshu Taoist Music has a history of at least 600 years. In the old days, there were many Taoist activity sites in Changshu, especially the City God Temple, Sanqing Temple, Zhidao Temple, Zhenwu Temple, and Ruizhen Taoist Temple, all of which belonged to the Jiangnan Zhengyi Sect. During the Republic of China period, Qian Weiqing, the abbot of the City God Temple and Ruizhen Taoist Temple, was good at Kunqu Opera and could play various musical instruments. The Yao Taoist priests of Shishou Hall also had their own magical powers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Yao Huixian's cymbals, Yao Tailin's military recruitment trumpets, Yao Wenqing's stringed instruments and singing, and Yao Jingcheng's son-in-law Shen Jiabin's flute were all well received. In 1986, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music invited 21 Taoist priests from Changshu, including Yang Haoxing, Lu Heshou, and Yang Eqing, to perform in Shanghai. They recorded the "Changshu Volume of Chinese Taoist Fasts and Offerings" and "Changshu Volume of Chinese Taoist Music" in the Jade Emperor Hall of Baiyun Temple. They believed that Changshu Taoist music was deeply influenced by Kunqu Opera in terms of singing and speaking, with many grades and profound attainments, and it was a unique one in Jiangnan Taoist music. Changshu Taoist music is rich in content and diverse in form. It can be roughly divided into pure Taoist music, such as "Buxu", "Zhuxiangzan", "Xiangzan", etc.; music derived from folk operas, such as "Da Kaimen", "Chaotianzi", "Xiao Kaimen", etc.; music derived from the court, such as "Yingxianke" and "Yaotanye". According to its regional distribution, Changshu Taoist music can be divided into three major schools: Dongxiang, Xixiang and urban areas. Dongxiang Taoist music is typified by Pudong Chuansha and Nanhui, with a "lively" musical feature. The performance focuses on the percussion of rough gongs and drums, with fast beating and slow singing. Sometimes the jinghu is used as the main melody instrument, with a fresh, lively, cheerful, and bright rhythm and breath of life. Xixiang Taoist music is typified by Jiading and Baoshan, with rough music as the main form. The percussion routines are similar to the ten-part gongs and drums. The qupai music uses a lot of Kunqu opera and Peking opera. After the ceremony, operas are sung and music is played to entertain the heart. Therefore, the repertoire and form of Xixiang Taoist music are relatively rich. Urban Taoist music is mainly performed by local Taoist priests in the city. It focuses on the quietness and delicacy of music, and pays attention to the overall coordination of singing style, melody use, and instrument configuration. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)