Ma Chenghai
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Ma Chenghai, Male, Hui, from Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Hui Yanxiqu (Ⅱ-118). The tradition is documented in Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai. Within the regional tradition and school record of Hui Yanxiqu in Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai: Hui banquet songs are current in Menyuan County, Qinghai Province, are directly related to the migration of the Hui people to Menyuan, and have a history of three hundred years since they took shape; they derive their name from the "yan-yue" of the Song imperial court, are sung mainly at wedding banquets with accompanying movement, and are therefore also called "banquet dance" or "caiqu". An initial survey shows that there are more than one hundred kinds of quling in the banquet songs current in the Menyuan area, basically one tune to each set of words, and the tunes are elegant and moving. Banquet songs are current in Menyuan County, Qinghai Province; they are directly related to the migration of the Hui people to Menyuan. Banquet songs derive their name from the "yan-yue" (court feast music) of the Song imperial court; they are sung mainly at wedding banquets and are accompanied by movement, so they are also called "banquet dance" or "caiqu".
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Ma Chenghai is anchored in the documented technical standards of Hui Yanxiqu in Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai. Within the documented technical tradition of Hui Yanxiqu in Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai: According to what the old people recall, banquet songs have a history of three hundred years since they took shape. Their performance form is lively and nimble, with song and dance going together and speech and singing combined; their main contents include blessings, narrative songs, five-watch songs, da wang bian and sanqu. The blessings narrate the ethnic origins and are commonly used at wedding ceremonies and for good wishes; the narrative songs, also called "da zhuan", are the core part of banquet songs; the five-watch songs mostly use the five watches of the night as their imagery and are vivid and expressive; the da wang bian, also called "da jiao er", is performed in alternation with the banquet song and dance and is a form of narrative singing rich in ethnic character; the sanqu are mostly xiaodiao, their verbal structure is free and flexible, and they cover almost all the folk xiaodiao of the northwest. Besides these, banquet songs also include the various dances performed with xiaodiao and the comic dances such as "La Camel" and "La Goose". An initial survey shows that there are more than one hundred kinds of quling in the banquet songs current in the Menyuan area, basically one tune to each set of words; the tunes are elegant and moving and deeply affecting. These works have both traditional and modern subject matter and are very wide-ranging in content; each has fixed lyrics, and they may also be improvised on the spot. In some sense, banquet songs are a vivid record of the history of the Hui people of Menyuan and a small encyclopaedia of their culture and folk custom. Their representative works include "Fang Si Niang" and the like. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Fang Si Niang": One of the representative works of Hui banquet songs, which include "Fang Si Niang" and the like. "Zhu Ci": One of the main contents of banquet songs; it narrates the ethnic origins and is commonly used at wedding ceremonies and for good wishes. "Narrative songs": Also called "da zhuan"; the core part of banquet songs. "Wu Geng songs": One of the main contents of banquet songs, mostly using the five watches of the night as their imagery, vivid and expressive.
Fang Si Niang
One of the representative works of Hui banquet songs, which include "Fang Si Niang" and the like.
Zhu Ci
One of the main contents of banquet songs; it narrates the ethnic origins and is commonly used at wedding ceremonies and for good wishes.
Narrative songs
Also called "da zhuan"; the core part of banquet songs.
Wu Geng songs
One of the main contents of banquet songs, mostly using the five watches of the night as their imagery, vivid and expressive.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Ma Chenghai was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Hui Yanxiqu, with Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Hui Yanxiqu in Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai as its declared area, and Menyuan Hui Autonomous County 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
Historical origin
Banquet songs are current in Menyuan County, Qinghai Province; they are directly related to the migration of the Hui people to Menyuan. Banquet songs derive their name from the "yan-yue" (court feast music) of the Song imperial court; they are sung mainly at wedding banquets and are accompanied by movement, so they are also called "banquet dance" or "caiqu".
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| An Baolong | Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai | 03-0875 | Same declared area |
| Ma Chenghai | Menyuanhuizuzizhi, Qinghai | — | 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。