Jianghe Work Songs
01 · Historical Records
The reach of the Yangtze's Three Gorges is commonly called the "gorge river", within which the Xiling Gorge is the most dangerous, and the danger of the Xiling Gorge is greatest in the stretch flowing past Zigui. Here the river surface is narrow, the current is torrential, and submerged rocks and shoals are found everywhere; for more than two thousand years Bashu-Chu boatmen have toiled and lived here, forming boatmen's chants that express their innermost feelings. In river reaches where the current is swift, the bends are large and the terrain is complex, navigation is extremely difficult, and the boats can only be moved ahead by the boatmen tracking them, so boatmen's chants grew richer accordingly.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Jianghe work songs are the various chants sung by boatmen on the Yangtze, the Yellow River and their tributaries; in river reaches where the current is swift, the bends are large and the terrain is complex, navigation is extremely difficult, and the boats can only be moved ahead by the boatmen tracking them. Boatmen's chants grew richer accordingly. According to the state of the navigation, Jianghe work songs can be divided into several types, among them the easygoing "downstream chants", the leisurely "flat-water chants", and the highly tense, almost shouted "upstream chants" and "death-defying chants". The reach of the Yangtze's Three Gorges is commonly called the "gorge river", within which the Xiling Gorge is the most dangerous, and the danger of the Xiling Gorge is greatest in the stretch flowing past Zigui. Here the river surface is narrow, the current is torrential, and submerged rocks and shoals are found everywhere. For more than two thousand years Bashu-Chu boatmen have toiled and lived here, forming boatmen's chants that express their innermost feelings. Among the Hubei folk songs of the work-song type, the gorge river chants are the most distinctive and representative. 126 Yangtze gorge river work songs survive today, of which 94 are boatmen's chants, including nine types such as dragging the punt pole, shifting the sculling oar, punting with the oar, tracking the towrope, hauling in the towrope, raising the sail, sculling, calling for wind and the slow board; and 32 are porter chants, including chants for opening the hold, closing the hold, issuing the tally, treading the flower bundle, carrying heavy pieces, pulling the lead wire, going up the gangplank, levelling the road, going up the slope, going down the slope, pushing the wheelbarrow and counting aloud. Yangtze gorge river work songs are characterised as high-pitched, deep and resonant, heroic and powerful. The musical melody is fused with the content, the pitch closely combining with the tones of speech; the vocal lines are free and expansive, and the rhythm and tempo depend on the specific work route, that is, on the labour carried out during singing. In the vocal lines of the gorge river chants, "melismatic lines" predominate, but there are also "rhythmic-tonal lines", carrying the ancient zhi-yu modal style. Their form of presentation is mostly one lead voice with many responding voices; the lead singer has a whole set of pieces suited to the various work routes of navigation, and sometimes improvises a few lines of navigation "jargon" according to the specific situation and need in order to direct the labour, such as calling the "live anchor chant" before setting out, humming the "sculling chant" on flat water and chanting the "raise the sail chant" with a favourable wind, and so on. For a long time the gorge river chants have been carried down without interruption among the gorge river boatmen.
Nine boatmen's chant types
Including nine types of chant: dragging the punt pole, shifting the sculling oar, punting with the oar, tracking the towrope, hauling in the towrope, raising the sail, sculling, calling for wind and the slow board.
Porter chants
Including chants for opening the hold, closing the hold, issuing the tally, treading the flower bundle, carrying heavy pieces, pulling the lead wire, going up the gangplank, levelling the road, going up the slope, going down the slope, pushing the wheelbarrow and counting aloud.
Melodic and tonal lines
In the vocal lines of the gorge river chants melismatic lines predominate, but there are also rhythmic-tonal lines, carrying the ancient zhi-yu modal style.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Yangtze gorge river work songs are the most distinctive and representative among the Hubei folk songs of the work-song type, and the Badong County area of Hubei Province is their main region of circulation. 126 of them survive today, of which 94 are boatmen's chants, including nine types such as dragging the punt pole, shifting the sculling oar, punting with the oar, tracking the towrope, hauling in the towrope, raising the sail, sculling, calling for wind and the slow board; and 32 are porter chants, including chants for opening the hold, closing the hold, issuing the tally, treading the flower bundle, carrying heavy pieces, pulling the lead wire, going up the gangplank, levelling the road, going up the slope, going down the slope, pushing the wheelbarrow and counting aloud. In their vocal lines melismatic lines predominate, but there are also rhythmic-tonal lines, carrying the ancient zhi-yu modal style.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Jianghe Work Songs · Jianghe Work Songs · Jianghe Work Songs · Jianghe Work Songs · Jianghe Work Songs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Yangtze gorge river work songs are a movement of life created collectively by working people; they have become the most cohesive and the most emblematic cultural symbol of the gorge river area, and they display distinctive research value for folklore, for music history and for local history and culture. At present, because of the changes in means of transport and mode of labour, and because the Three Gorges of the Yangtze have been dammed and impounded, the Yangtze gorge river work songs have gradually lost their former practical function, their development has come to a standstill and there is no successor, so organised rescue and protection are urgently needed.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Li Fuzhong 05-2106
- Yan Mingjun
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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