Zhizuo Work Songs
01 · Historical Records
Pingle town has been famous for paper-making since the Song dynasty, and the whole process of local handmade paper-making takes about three months; in this long and monotonous labour the zhuma haozi arose to meet the need.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Work haozi are a form of folk singing that appears in the course of production labour; they circulate in the paper-making, oil-pressing and cloth-dyeing workshops of medium and small towns and of the villages. Their rhythm is marked and their vocal styles rich and varied, and they mainly coordinate the workers’ movements by shouted calls. The leader holds a long hook in his hand, hands the zhuma to the workers and at the same time begins the chant to set the labour rhythm; one leads and all join, the tempo quickening from slow to fast, and as the work nears its end the mood reaches a climax and the atmosphere becomes intensely animated. In the course of beating the zhuma a variety of chants are sung, at one moment impassioned and at another calm and broad, both in form and in content rich. Representative works of the zhuma haozi include Shang Gong Hao Zi, Zhong Wu Hao Zi, Shou Gong Hao Zi and others. Zhuma haozi are folk work chants that have been preserved and sung for a long time in the western Sichuan region; their vocal style is primitive and plain, winding and drawn-out and full of passion; they may be sung solo or in combination, and are flexible and varied in form. Over thousands of years the tunes of the zhuma haozi have changed little; only the content of the words has kept changing with social and political conditions, the economy, and the ways of production and life. With the progress of science and technology the mode of production in the paper-making industry has changed enormously, the development of the zhuma haozi, which are closely bound to traditional paper-making, has stagnated, and their living space keeps shrinking.
Shang Gong Hao Zi
One of the representative works of the zhuma haozi, sung to accompany the start-of-work stage of paper-making.
Zhong Wu Hao Zi
One of the representative works of the zhuma haozi, sung to accompany the beating of zhuma at midday.
Shou Gong Hao Zi
One of the representative works of the zhuma haozi, sung to accompany the end-of-work stage.
Hook-led call-and-response
The leader holds a long hook, hands the zhuma to the workers and begins the chant to set the labour rhythm, one leading and all joining; the tempo quickens from slow to fast and the mood reaches a climax as the work nears its end.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Zhuma haozi are a form of folk song sung by paper-making workers while at labour; they circulate mainly in the western Sichuan region and are most flourishing in Lugou of Tongle village, Jinji gou of Jinhua village, Yangwan of Jinhe village and Huaqiu village, all in Pingle town of Qionglai city, Sichuan province. Zhuma haozi have a strong local character of western Sichuan, vividly reflect the folk customs and local culture of the region, and display the bearing and spirit of the ancient Shu culture; they are an important part of traditional ethnic culture, play a role in enriching and enlivening the cultural life of the local people, and can provide highly valuable material for the study of folk paper-making craft.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
At present only three to five people in the whole of Pingle town can sing the zhuma haozi complete; if this continues, this distinctive form of folk music will certainly die out completely, and protection and support must be started at once to promote the transmission and development of the zhuma haozi.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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