Hua鈥檈r: 鈥═he blossoming folk songs of northwest China
Print Edition
Across the rugged mountains and grasslands of northwest China, Hua鈥檈r 鈥 a vibrant tradition 鈥 echoes through the valleys.
Recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2009 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the centuries-old folk song form unites diverse Chinese ethnic groups with its raw, poetic expressions of love, labor and life.
Hua鈥檈r, which means 鈥渇lower鈥 in Chinese as its lyrics liken women to flowers, remains a living testament to the region鈥檚 cultural resilience.
Originating as early as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Hua鈥檈r evolved from the daily lives of farmers, herders and travelers in northwest China鈥檚 Gansu and Qinghai provinces as well as the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
With verses often using natural imagery to convey emotions, scholars liken its lyrical structure to the 鈥淏ook of Songs鈥 鈥 the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry.
Divided into regional styles like Hehuang, Taomin and Liupanshan Hua鈥檈r, the songs are sung in local Chinese dialects but reflect influences from Tibetan, Hui, Mongolian and other ethnic musical traditions.
Every summer, thousands gather at open-air Hua鈥檈r festivals to improvise duels of wit and melody. These events serve as platforms for cross-cultural exchanges and emotional connection among ethnic groups.
In Gansu鈥檚 Minxian County, the annual Hua鈥檈r Festival transforms hillsides into stages. Farmers belt out verses about love and hardship.
A female singer boldly expresses love:
鈥淐ucumber vines climb the wall. I鈥檓 a master of singing Hua鈥檈r. How long I鈥檝e been tangled with you, tangled and laid my heart bare.鈥
A male singer responds with equal passion:
鈥淎 pair of black oxen plows the herbal field. You hold feelings; I hold intent. Sooner or later, we will be together.鈥
The 69-year-old Dutch ethnomusicologist Frank Kouwenhoven has studied Hua鈥檈r for decades. Though he can barely understand the improvised Chinese lyrics, he is captivated by the performers.
鈥淭heir joy is contagious. It鈥檚 music that binds communities,鈥 he noted.
Kouwenhoven established the European Foundation for Chinese Music Research to promote Chinese folk music and launched an academic journal CHIME.
For inheritors like Sa Lina, from Ningxia, preserving Hua鈥檈r is both a duty and a lifeline.
Born in a remote village, the 36-year-old began learning the songs as a child while tending sheep. Today, she teaches at Lanzhou University, where students master the distinct nasal tones and vibrato of Ningxia鈥檚 Hua鈥檈r.
鈥淚f we lose our dialect鈥檚 nuances, we lose the soul of Hua鈥檈r,鈥 she said.
In the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ma Cheng, a famous Hua鈥檈r singer, blends Hua鈥檈r with the strums of the dutar (a Uygur lute), creating a fusion that resonates with younger audiences.
Zhang Yujie, another inheritor from Gansu, volunteers at primary schools, teaching children to dance to Hua鈥檈r rhythms.
While Hua鈥檈r thrives in rural settings, artists like Su Yang, a Ningxia-born musician, are reimagining it for modern ears. By mixing its high-pitched melodies with rock and electronic beats, Su has performed abroad.
鈥淗ua鈥檈r isn鈥檛 a relic. It鈥檚 a conversation between generations,鈥 he observed.
Today, Lanzhou University in Gansu and Changji College in Xinjiang offer courses, while festivals draw tourists worldwide.
鈥淎s long as there are mountains and hearts that ache to sing, Hua鈥檈r will never fade,鈥 Sa said, as she prepared for her next class.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
