Zhang Yuanlai
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Zhang Yuanlai, Male, Han, from Sanya, Hainan, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Ya Folk Songs (Ⅱ-13). The tradition is documented in Sanya, Hainan. Within the regional tradition and school record of Ya Folk Songs in Sanya, Hainan: In the fifth year of the Kaibao reign of Emperor Taizu of Song, 972, Yazhou was established, its seat set at present-day Yacheng town in Sanya city, governing the two counties of Ningyuan and Jiyang, present-day Sanya and the Huangliu area. The folk songs produced and circulating in this area are collectively called the Ya folk songs. They circulate mainly in the Yacheng, Baoping and Huangliu areas of Sanya city in Hainan and the surrounding Ledong areas, and spread with the migrants of southern Qiong to the coastal areas of south-western Hainan island. When Buddhism entered Hainan in the Tang dynasty, the earliest Dayun temple was built at present-day Yacheng town in Sanya city, the ancient Yazhou, and the sighing tune of the Ya folk songs comes from the “vegetarian song”, which must have some connection with the chanting and intoning in the temple.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Zhang Yuanlai is anchored in the documented technical standards of Ya Folk Songs in Sanya, Hainan. Within the documented technical tradition of Ya Folk Songs in Sanya, Hainan: The Ya folk songs are one of the ancient song kinds of Hainan folk song. From the archaeological results at the Luobidong palaeo-human site in Sanya city it is known that “Sanya people” were living here ten thousand years ago. The Ya folk songs show clear traces of the influence of Buddhist “vegetarian songs” and the Tang poetic form. Their subject matter is wide and their content rich, the lyrics mostly in seven-character lines, touching on every field from humanistic history and scenery to productive labour and social life. No fewer than a hundred long narrative poems have been discovered, and they are the treasure of the Ya folk songs. The tunes of the Ya folk songs are fine and pleasing, including the work chantey, the hawker's cry, the loud-pull tune, the tender tune, the sighing tune and the humming tune. Common pieces include Ten Partings from My Lover, The Song of Liang Sheng, The Song of Zhang Sheng, Meng Lijun and Dwelling in the Spring Garden. Divided by occasion and function the Ya folk songs may again be divided into work chanteys, hawkers' cries, wedding songs, funeral songs and children's songs, sung mostly in the towns and villages of the Sanya and Huangliu area. Their lyrics are mainly in seven-character lines, and the long narrative songs are often sung over several nights, becoming the main way for local people to gather in the evening and amuse themselves at festivals. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Ten Partings from My Lover": One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs. "The Song of Liang Sheng": One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs. "The Song of Zhang Sheng": One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs. "Meng Lijun": One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs.
Ten Partings from My Lover
One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs.
The Song of Liang Sheng
One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs.
The Song of Zhang Sheng
One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs.
Meng Lijun
One of the common pieces of the Ya folk songs.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Zhang Yuanlai was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Ya Folk Songs, with Sanya, Hainan as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Ya Folk Songs in Sanya, Hainan: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Sanya, Hainan as its declared area, and Sanya Mass Art Center as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
When Buddhism entered Hainan in the Tang dynasty, the earliest Dayun temple was built at present-day Yacheng town in Sanya city, the ancient Yazhou, and the sighing tune of the Ya folk songs comes from the “vegetarian song”, which must have some connection with the chanting and intoning in the temple.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zhang Yuanlai | Sanya, Hainan | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。