Khuurug Balladry
01 · Historical Records
Haolaibao is the Mongolian art of rhymed speaking-and-singing. According to the project archive it has been transmitted for close to a thousand years, and its emergence is closely bound up with the dispersed pastoral mode of production and life of the Mongols, who followed water and grass from place to place. In the long and scattered intervals of pastoral life, herders needed a form of entertainment and narrative that was easy to carry and could be sung at any moment; with nothing but a low-register four-string fiddle, the performer accompanying himself, the happenings of the tribe, historical legends and the precepts of life could be sung in linked verse. From the twentieth century onward, Haolaibao moved gradually from group singing at gatherings on the pastoral grasslands onto the performing stage, and a form of performance by several people with a small ensemble accompaniment came into being.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Haolaibao means 'rhymed speaking-and-singing'. It is transmitted on the Horqin Grasslands of Inner Mongolia and in the surrounding area, has a history of close to a thousand years, and its emergence is closely bound up with the dispersed pastoral mode of production and life of the Mongols. The performance of Haolaibao mainly takes three forms: 'danghai' Haolaibao, 'dailicha' Haolaibao and 'elege' Haolaibao. 'Danghai' Haolaibao is solo Haolaibao, which can further be divided into ancient unaccompanied narration and the form in which the performer accompanies himself on the four-string fiddle. It is sung by one person, narrating in verse, and commonly uses praise, satire and simile to depict events and characters, while also often using evocative foregrounding and extravagant imagination to narrate the plot and express feeling. 'Dailicha' Haolaibao is two-person Haolaibao, which can further be divided into 'bitu' Haolaibao and 'zhadegai' Haolaibao; both belong to forms of entertainment that combine knowledge with amusement. 'Bitu' Haolaibao concentrates on questions and answers, debate and riddles, while 'zhadegai' Haolaibao concentrates on comparing knowledge and comparing wisdom, and has a certain narrative quality. 'Elege' Haolaibao is multi-person Haolaibao, developed and merged out of the first two forms. In performance the performer generally accompanies himself on a low-register four-string fiddle, while multi-person Haolaibao uses a small ensemble for accompaniment. Haolaibao has a rich store of tunes and varied music, with a light and lively rhythm. In multi-person performance, singing forms such as leading singing, antiphonal singing, unison singing and chorus accompaniment are used, together with graceful movements. Lyrics are generally in stanzas of four lines, the first syllable of each line rhyming; they may rhyme both in the middle and at the end, the stanzas may be linked in rhyme or cross-rhymed, and there are also forms in which several tens of lines of lyrics keep a single rhyme throughout. The Haolaibao art, known as 'one person, one fiddle, one play', brings together speaking, singing, dancing and music, and is marked by diversity, comprehensiveness, wholeness, improvisatory character and popular participation. In real life it is also a driving force for Mongolian solidarity and progress, and plays a positive role in preserving and carrying on the spiritual lineage of the Chinese nation.
The danghai solo holboo
The solo form, either recited unaccompanied or sung to the singer's own four-string fiddle, narrating in verse with praise, satire and metaphor.
The dailicha duet: bitu and zhadegai
The duet form divides into riddling, debating bitu and the wisdom-matching zhadegai, both knowledge-based and playful.
The eleguge multi-voice holboo
The multi-person form, grown out of the solo and duet types, uses lead, antiphonal, unison and accompanying singing with movement.
Singing to one's own bass sihu
A single performer usually sings to his own bass sihu, while multi-voice holboo uses a small band; the art is famed as "one man, one fiddle, one whole play".
Four-line stanzas rhyming on the first syllable
Stanzas run four lines with the first syllable rhyming, optionally with internal and end rhyme; some passages hold a single rhyme for dozens of lines.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Haolaibao is transmitted on the Horqin Grasslands of Inner Mongolia and in the surrounding area. Today the Horqin Left Wing Rear Banner of Tongliao City is its representative area of transmission, and the protecting unit is the Cultural Centre of the Horqin Left Wing Rear Banner. The local Mongolian population is concentrated, and banquets, Nadam fairs and gatherings in the slack pastoral season give Haolaibao year-round opportunities to perform; within the banner there is still preserved the tradition of spontaneously formed troupes singing to the accompaniment of the four-string fiddle.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
It is an important carrier of Mongolian history and culture, and has research value in folklore, sociology, ethnology, linguistics, art theory and other fields. At present, Haolaibao lacks successors and its prospects give cause for concern; urgent rescue and protection are needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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