Feng Guangxiang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Feng Guangxiang, Female, Tujia, from Qianjiang, Chongqing, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Nanxi Work Songs (Ⅱ-25). The tradition is documented in Qianjiang, Chongqing. Within the regional tradition and school record of Nanxi Work Songs in Qianjiang, Chongqing: In the long course of singing the Nanxi work songs gradually developed into a mountain-song kind of a special character, differing both from the neighbouring Chuanjiang work songs and tracker chanteys and from the other labour chanteys and mountain-song chanteys widely sung in the Wuling mountains. The Nanxi work songs arose in the Nanxi area of Qianjiang district, Chongqing; their rudimentary form was the labour chantey and mountain-song chantey with which Tujia peasants relieved fatigue and roused their spirits at work, akin to the weeding gong-and-drum. They gradually developed and took settled form over long field singing and have become an oral tradition handed down from generation to generation in the Tujia areas of settlement.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Feng Guangxiang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Nanxi Work Songs in Qianjiang, Chongqing. Within the documented technical tradition of Nanxi Work Songs in Qianjiang, Chongqing: The Nanxi work songs are current in Qianjiang district, Chongqing; their rudimentary form was the labour chantey and mountain-song chantey with which Tujia peasants relieved fatigue and roused their spirits at work, akin to the weeding gong-and-drum. The lyrics of the Nanxi work songs are mostly improvised, but their tunes and manner of singing are relatively fixed. The vocal styles number more than ten, chiefly the great-plank style, the nine-turn road, the three-platform voice, the racket-beating, the South River chantey and the trumpet chantey. Their basic manner of singing is one person leading the call, two or three taking the sharp voice, that is, crying the high notes, three or more crying the low notes and the many joining in, thus forming a heavenly sound of high, middle and low parts answering one another and echoing melodiously through the hills and fields. The content of the Nanxi work songs touches on Tujia history, geography and folk legend and conveys much ancient historical and cultural information. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The Great-Plank Style, the Nine-Turn Road and the Three-Platform Voice": The main styles among the more than ten vocal styles of the Nanxi work songs. "The Racket-Beating, the South River Chantey and the Trumpet Chantey": The other representative vocal styles of the Nanxi work songs. "One Leading the Call with the Sharp and Low Parts Answering": The manner of singing in which one leads the call, two or three take the sharp voice, three or more cry the low notes and the many join in. "Singing at Field Labour among the Tujia": The occasions of singing at field labour, akin to the weeding gong-and-drum, to relieve fatigue and rouse the spirits.
The Great-Plank Style, the Nine-Turn Road and the Three-Platform Voice
The main styles among the more than ten vocal styles of the Nanxi work songs.
The Racket-Beating, the South River Chantey and the Trumpet Chantey
The other representative vocal styles of the Nanxi work songs.
One Leading the Call with the Sharp and Low Parts Answering
The manner of singing in which one leads the call, two or three take the sharp voice, three or more cry the low notes and the many join in.
Singing at Field Labour among the Tujia
The occasions of singing at field labour, akin to the weeding gong-and-drum, to relieve fatigue and rouse the spirits.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Feng Guangxiang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Nanxi Work Songs, with Qianjiang, Chongqing as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Nanxi Work Songs in Qianjiang, Chongqing: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Qianjiang, Chongqing as its declared area, and Chongqing Qianjiang District Culture Shengtai Safeguarding Management 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
The Nanxi work songs arose in the Nanxi area of Qianjiang district, Chongqing; their rudimentary form was the labour chantey and mountain-song chantey with which Tujia peasants relieved fatigue and roused their spirits at work, akin to the weeding gong-and-drum. They gradually developed and took settled form over long field singing and have become an oral tradition handed down from generation to generation in the Tujia areas of settlement.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yang Zhengze | Qianjiang, Chongqing | 02-0250 | Same declared area |
| Feng Guangxiang | Qianjiang, Chongqing | — | 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。