Aoyunbielige

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Aoyunbielige, Female, Mongolian, from Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Mongolian Folk Songs (Ⅱ-105). The tradition is documented in Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia. Within the regional tradition and school record of Mongolian Folk Songs in Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: Khoshut folk songs are a traditional form of Mongol music transmitted in Alxa Left Banner of Alxa League in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region; besides Alxa Left Banner, they are also found in Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu and elsewhere. Under the influence of dialect, natural environment, ethnic custom and other factors, Khoshut folk songs have formed a distinctive artistic style. The Khoshut are one of the four divisions of the Oirat Mongols; from the 1630s their people moved in stages to graze around Alxa, and whenever festival rites and celebrations were held the Khoshut would offer wine and songs to create a festive atmosphere. Besides Alxa Left Banner of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Khoshut folk songs are also found in Xinjiang, Qinghai and Gansu, each varying with differences of dialect, natural environment and ethnic custom, and the singing of the Alxa Left Banner area is generally accepted as the most representative.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Aoyunbielige is anchored in the documented technical standards of Mongolian Folk Songs in Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia. Within the documented technical tradition of Mongolian Folk Songs in Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: The Khoshut are one of the four divisions of the Oirat Mongols in China, and whenever festival rites and celebrations are held they offer wine and songs to create a festive atmosphere. The words and tunes of the Khoshut folk songs they sing are enough to delight the ear and gladden the heart of every guest at the banquet and put them in high spirits. Long tunes predominate among the Khoshut folk song forms, which are of many kinds; by subject they are divided into historical narrative, blessing, everyday customs, love, longing, weddings and the praise of horses. They are simple and solemn, with lively tunes that rise and fall widely; in their tonal character they rather completely preserve the pentatonic modal style of Mongol folk song, and there are also six-tone and seven-tone modes. They insist on the richness and the variety of timbre; the breath is broad, the line winding and far-ranging, the manner expansive and bold, and there are many ornamented notes; the melodic structure is mostly two phrases in two sections, accompanied by rich auxiliary and inserted words. When a long note is sung, varied he yin and hui yin overtones are often inserted. They have also formed a distinctive singing method called tatlaga: the long-tune songs are sung with an upward lift and a raised register, winding and turning; on reaching the final note of a phrase the note is lengthened and flung upward by the hayalaga method, and the melody is then gently drawn back and carried into the next phrase. Besides, every Khoshut folk song has a fixed refrain; when a song is finished, all join in singing the refrain, which adds to the atmosphere. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Thematic categories": Long tunes predominate among the Khoshut folk song forms, which are of many kinds; by subject they are divided into historical narrative, blessing, everyday customs, love, longing, weddings and the praise of horses. "Tatlaga singing technique": The long-tune songs are sung with an upward lift and a raised register, winding and turning; on reaching the final note of a phrase the note is lengthened and flung upward by the hayalaga method, and the melody is then gently drawn back and carried into the next phrase. "Fixed refrain sung in chorus": Every Khoshut folk song has a fixed refrain; when a song is finished, all join in singing the refrain, which adds to the atmosphere. "Harmonic and echo overtones": They insist on the richness and the variety of timbre; the breath is broad, the line winding and far-ranging, the manner expansive and bold, and there are many ornamented notes. Varied he yin and hui yin overtones are often inserted when long notes are sung, and the melodic structure is mostly two phrases in two sections, with rich auxiliary and inserted words.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Aoyunbielige was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Mongolian Folk Songs, with Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Mongolian Folk Songs in Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia as its declared area, and Alashanzuo Banner Cultural 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

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.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Aoyunbielige (Alashanmengalashanzuoqi, Inner Mongolia) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Aoyunbielige · China ICH Official Archive