Ziyang Folk Songs
01 · Historical Records
Ziyang lies in central southern Shaanxi and takes its name from the Daoist southern school's founder Zhang Boduan, the Perfected Man of Ziyang. In our country's earliest anthology of poetry, the Book of Songs, the twenty-five ballads of the “Zhou Nan” and “Shao Nan” sections circulated mainly in the upper reaches of the Han river, including Ziyang; in the course of dynastic change the Ziyang folk songs gradually matured along with the formation and development of the people's various living customs, reaching their height in the Ming and Qing.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Ziyang folk songs are a kind of folk song current in Ziyang county, Shaanxi, with a rich southern Shaanxi local colour. Their store is extremely rich: the total number of pieces discovered has reached 5,028, of which 828 have been compiled and printed; the genres include the work chantey, the mountain song and the short tune, within which are further included the shehuo song, the custom song, the religious song and the quzi. Because of its deep accumulation and wide singing, Ziyang county has been named a “home of folk song” by the Ministry of Culture. The representative pieces of Ziyang folk songs include My Lover Sings a Mountain Song Opposite My Door, Singing Mountain Songs, Washing Clothes and Bamboo of the Southern Mountain. The Ziyang folk songs play a role that cannot be underestimated in enriching the musical treasury of the Chinese nation and carrying forward Chinese musical culture.
My Lover Sings a Mountain Song Opposite My Door
One of the representative pieces of Ziyang folk songs.
Singing Mountain Songs
One of the representative pieces of Ziyang folk songs.
Washing Clothes
One of the representative pieces of Ziyang folk songs.
Bamboo of the Southern Mountain
One of the representative pieces of Ziyang folk songs.
The Three Great Genres of Work Chantey, Mountain Song and Short Tune
The main generic classification of Ziyang folk songs, including the shehuo song, the custom song, the religious song and the quzi.
The High-Pitched Mountain Song and the Colouristic Vibrato Singing
The high and melodious vocal line and the colouristic vibrato that wanders among the degrees of the mode.
The Han River Boatmen's Chantey
The chantey-type folk songs with striking rhythmic character that spread with Han river shipping.
Singing at Shehuo, Temple Fairs and Wedding and Funeral Rites
The occasions on which Ziyang folk songs are transmitted directly through the various folk activities.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Ziyang folk songs circulate mainly in the townships along the Han river and its tributaries within Ziyang county, Shaanxi, most concentrated in Chengguan, Haoping, Hanwang and Huangu, and spread with Han river shipping to Ankang, Hanzhong and the eastern Sichuan and north-western Hubei areas. The locality has long been known as a “home of folk song”: shehuo, temple fairs, wedding and funeral rites and field labour are all important occasions of folk-song singing, forming a pattern in which the work chantey, the mountain song and the short tune exist side by side. The Ziyang folk songs are most distinctive for their high-pitched mountain songs, with a high and melodious vocal line and a rich dialect flavour. The Han river boatmen's chanteys and the mountain work chanteys have their own distinct rhythms, the short tunes are used mostly for festivals and daily entertainment, and the shehuo songs, custom songs, religious songs and quzi have been current as attached to the corresponding folk activities. Ziyang county now has folk-song singing teams in town and country alike, and the mass singing activities continue without a break.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Ziyang folk songs have been current for a long time; their lyrics use clever metaphor and are witty and humorous, with relatively high literary value; the dialect used is like that of Sichuan and like that of Chu, with a distinctive charm; their melody is fine and melodious, and in the high-pitched manner of singing the colouristic vibrato that wanders among the degrees of the mode has a distinctive value. The transmission of the Ziyang folk songs rests directly on the various folk activities and reflects rich folk-cultural content.
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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