Miao Folk Songs
01 · Historical Records
According to the Qiongzhou Prefecture Gazetteer compiled in the Daoguang reign of the Qing, the Miao people of Hainan migrated to Hainan Province during the Ming dynasty.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Hainan Miao folk songs are traditional music that arose and are mainly circulated in the Miao-inhabited areas in the hinterland around the Five Finger Mountains in the centre of Hainan Province. The Miao-inhabited area of Hainan is concentrated in Qiongzhong and the eight cities and counties surrounding Qiongzhong. In addition, the cities and counties of Sanya, Dongfang, Ledong Li Autonomous County, Changjiang Li Autonomous County and Ding'an also have scattered Miao villages. Wherever there are Hainan Miao people there are Miao folk songs. This heritage item has been circulated in Hainan for more than 300 years. The language, customs and habits of the Hainan Miao differ from those of the Miao in the inland south-west of China, and their folk song tunes differ as well. Hainan Miao folk songs have a wide range of subjects and rich content. By content they include narrative songs, ritual songs, customary songs, love songs and lullabies, covering every aspect of the daily life of the Miao people. In terms of tune they are comparatively uniform: only one folk song tune is in circulation, which the Miao call the “fengsu ge”. The “fengsu ge” has two performing styles, one called the “long style” and one called the “short style”. The “long style” is used mostly for narrative songs and love songs; the “short style” is used for ritual songs, customary songs, lullabies and the like. Traditional folk songs are sung in the “fengsu ge” tune, while newly composed folk songs are created on the basis of the skeletal tones of the “fengsu ge” tune, with lively and flowing melodies and plain, concise language that make them easy to learn and pass on. Hainan Miao folk songs are extremely popular among the people. They are an important medium for the Miao people to hold folk religious activities, to transmit knowledge of astronomy, geography and daily life, and for young men and women to court and fall in love, and they are an indispensable cultural content and spiritual nourishment for the Hainan Miao people.
Narrative songs
One of the subject categories of Hainan Miao folk songs as divided by content.
Ritual songs
One of the subject categories of Hainan Miao folk songs as divided by content, sung in the “short style” of the “fengsu ge”.
Customary songs
One of the subject categories of Hainan Miao folk songs as divided by content, sung in the “short style” of the “fengsu ge”.
Love songs
One of the subject categories of Hainan Miao folk songs as divided by content, sung in the “long style” of the “fengsu ge”.
Lullabies
One of the subject categories of Hainan Miao folk songs as divided by content, sung in the “short style” of the “fengsu ge”.
Long and short styles of Feng-su-ge
The tune is comparatively uniform, with only one folk song tune in circulation, which the Miao call the “fengsu ge”; it has two performing styles, the “long style” used mostly for narrative songs and love songs and the “short style” used for ritual songs, customary songs, lullabies and the like.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
By performing type, Hainan Miao folk songs are divided into traditional folk songs and newly composed folk songs. Hainan Miao folk songs have a regional and ethnic character, are one of Hainan's fine ethnic cultural heritages, and combine instruction with pleasure, playing a positive role in promoting cultural identity and social harmony. Hainan Miao folk songs arise and are circulated mainly in the Miao-inhabited areas in the hinterland around the Five Finger Mountains in the centre of Hainan Province, concentrated in Qiongzhong and the eight cities and counties around it, with scattered Miao villages also in Sanya, Dongfang, Ledong, Changjiang, Ding'an and other cities and counties. By performing type they fall into traditional and newly composed folk songs: traditional folk songs are sung in the “fengsu ge” tune, while newly composed ones are created on the basis of the skeletal tones of that tune, with lively, flowing melodies and plain, concise language that make them easy to pass on.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Miao Folk Songs · Miao Folk Songs · Miao Folk Songs · Miao Folk Songs.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Song texts of the traditional Hainan Miao folk songs are still kept among the people, and transmission generally takes the form of elders teaching and young people learning. Its transmission is marked by being rooted in the community and loosely organised, and every locality has its own representative lineage of transmission.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Chen Qianjun 03-0867
- Ren Maoshu 05-2118
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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