Family Teaching

The Yungs began their qin studies with Qing Rui (1816-1875), a Manchu of the Bordered White Banner (Xiangbaiqi) division. The family’s native home was in Heilongjiang. The third-generation successor, Yung Sum-yin moved to Hong Kong in the 1950s. The family has practiced qin for nearly 200 years with the sixth generation currently acting as the holders and practitioners of this family legacy.

All Yungs begin to learn the qin from a young age. The art has been basically taught through demonstration without the use of scores. The instructor first plays a verse a couple of times, during which the student listens attentively while remembering the fingering, the rhythm and the hui (marker) positions by heart. The student next tries to simulate what has just been heard. Industrious practice help the student master the use of basic fingering techniques and the treatment of melody and rhythm. This helps the student understand the rhythms hidden in the piece when later reading the heirloom manuscripts, and to easily express them through playing. The Yungs begin listening to qin music from a young age and therefore are very familiar with the rhythm of the pieces, which helps them with their fingering. Since they are taught at home, their fingering techniques can be rectified immediately. Learning the qin from a young age also allows the student to be exposed to and trained in the basics from early on.

The heirloom manuscripts of Yungs have been handed down by Qing Rui, Li Zhixian (second wife of Qing Rui), Yung Sum-yin, and Yung Sze-chak. The manuscripts have included pieces such as the Saishang Hong (Wild Geese on the Frontier), Pingsha Luoyan (Wild Geese Landing on Sand), Shuixian (Water Inspiration), Yandu Hengyang (Wild Geese flying over Hengyang), Pu’an Zhou (Incantation of the Buddhist Pu’an), and Luming Cao (Deer Call). The Yungs’ style is one of a kind. Most of the pieces they play are free rhythm ones, using unique fingering, with lots of “yin” and “huan”, such that the piece can be played as if it would linger on forever. Their playing is particularly expressive of loneliness and lament.