Leadership Insights | Illustrated Lectures:Kazakh Dombra Making Technique: A Craft Passed Down for Centuries

The Kazakh craft of making the dombra, a national intangible cultural heritage item of China, embodies the profound heritage of Kazakh nomadic culture. The dombra is a traditional plucked string instrument, with the body typically made from pine, mulberry, or apricot wood. Its bright and resonant tone makes it the soul of grassland music. The making process is entirely handcrafted, involving more than 10 steps such as material selection, carving, installation, and decoration. Craftsmen use tools like axes and chisels to hollow out the pear-shaped resonator from a single piece of wood, and then carefully polish the neck and head of the instrument, ensuring the precise placement of sound holes for a rich and clear tone.

The decoration process is a core part of the craft. The neck of the dombra is often inlaid with bone pieces, gemstones, or metal wires, carved with patterns of steppe animals, flowers, and other motifs, symbolizing nature worship and ethnic beliefs. Traditional strings are made of sheep intestines, while modern ones use nylon wires as the substitutes. Yet, the inheritance of this intangible cultural heritage item still emphasizes ancient craftsmanship. The dombra is more than just a musical instrument; it is an indispensable cultural medium in Kazakh epic singing and festival celebrations, reflecting the aesthetics and wisdom of the Kazakh people.

In 2008, this craft was included in the second batch of China’s national intangible cultural heritage. Currently, regions such as Yili and Altay in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region promote the protection of this traditional craft by establishing inheritance bases and conducting apprentice training, allowing it to continue thriving in modern society and become an important link connecting nomadic traditions with contemporary art.

The time-honored Kazakh craft of making the dombra has achieved remarkable achievements with the advancement of the times. Dombra music performances have also reached larger stages, becoming an important carrier to spread Kazakh culture and promote the inheritance and development of national culture.

We must strengthen the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage and promote the outstanding traditional cultures of all ethnic groups.

監製:蔚力

策劃:丁素雲

文案:楊俊康