Haiyang Work Songs
01 · Historical Records
Changdao fishing chants originate at Tuoji Island and have a history of more than three hundred years.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Work chants are an important type of Chinese folk song. They arise out of physical labour, serve production directly, and reflect the labour conditions and the mental outlook of the workers truthfully. At first they were only natural cries of labour; later they were gradually beautified into sung phrases and took on the artistic form of song. Sea work chants are one of the many kinds of work chant, circulated mainly in coastal regions. They take sea labour as their main content and usually include chanting styles for rowing, poling, hauling the towrope, handling the sail, weighing anchor and hauling nets; the singers are mostly fishermen who make a living by catching fish and handling boats. Changdao is also called the Miaodao Islands; it stretches along the Bohai Strait and is situated exactly where the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Sea meet. Changdao County belongs to Yantai City and is the only island county in Shandong Province. In the age of sailing, Changdao fishing chants became a kind of “fishing command” in maritime production and were widely current along the shores of the Bohai Sea and the northern Yellow Sea. Almost all fishing chants have no real text but consist mainly of vocable syllables; in a few places there is text, but it does not convey any complete content. Changdao fishing chants have simple phrases and a rough, bold, firm and optimistic tone; they are expressed by shouting, calling, leading and antiphonal singing, without any instrumental accompaniment. The lead singer of a fishing chant is popularly called the “hao tou”, and is usually an experienced seafarer. When leading, the chanting may be light or heavy, long or short, intermittent or urgent, but it must always match the rhythm of the labour. Throughout the singing of a Changdao fishing chant, the leader is assured and dignified while the responders work as one; one leads and one responds, one calls and one answers, the intervals leap by an octave, and the heads and tails of the phrases lock tightly together, revealing the force of a great dragon thrashing in the sea, so that one fully senses the cohesion, centripetal power and authoritative summoning power of the fishing chant.
Net-setting chant
One of the eight main types of Changdao fishing chant, accompanying the work of casting the net at sea.
Mast-raising chant
One of the eight main types of Changdao fishing chant, accompanying the work of raising the mast.
Oar-rowing chant
One of the eight main types of Changdao fishing chant, accompanying the work of rowing the boat.
Sail-handling chant
One of the eight main types of Changdao fishing chant, accompanying the work of handling (hauling) the sail.
Fa-cai (Ting-ba) chant
One of the eight main types of Changdao fishing chant, its name expressing the wish for a plentiful catch.
Lead and response interlocking
The lead singer is popularly called the “hao tou” and is an experienced seafarer; his leading may be light or heavy, long or short, intermittent or urgent, and always matches the rhythm of the labour. The head of each responding phrase locks tightly onto the tail of the leading phrase and the intervals leap by an octave, revealing the force of a great dragon thrashing in the sea. No instrumental accompaniment is used.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Changdao fishing chants can be divided into eight main types, among them the net-setting chant, the mast-raising chant, the oar-rowing chant, the sail-handling chant and the Fa-cai (Ting-ba) chant; there are also the anchor-picking chant, the boat-pulling chant and others. Local fishermen treat the fishing command as a military command and respond very seriously: the head of the responding phrase locks tightly onto the tail of the leading phrase, matching the tone and mood of the leader strictly, with an emphasis on responding at the right moment and in harmony. Changdao fishing chants are current throughout among the local fishermen and have a wide influence.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Haiyang Work Songs · Haiyang Work Songs · Haiyang Work Songs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Changdao fishing chants are an outstanding folk art created by local fishermen in the course of long maritime labour. They embody the characteristics of the maritime culture of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea region, and have research value in folklore, sociology and other fields. At present the change in the mode of social production and the deaths of large numbers of old fishermen have brought a serious crisis to the transmission and development of Changdao fishing chants; this precious art of maritime folk song has almost vanished, and emergency rescue and protection cannot wait.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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