Sayeerha of Tujia Nationality

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: sayeerha of Tujia Nationality

Applicant: Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Hubei Province

Project No.: 121

Project No.: Ⅲ - 18

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region: Hubei Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Hubei Province

Protection unit: national and folk traditional culture protection center of Changyang Tujia Autonomous County

A brief introduction to the Tujia people's sayeerhu

Applicant: Changyang Tujia Autonomous County, Hubei Province

"Sayeeerhe" of Tujia Nationality in Changyang, Hubei Province is a very unique song and dance of Tujia Nationality in the middle reaches of Qingjiang River. It has a long history. According to Manshu, Tujia ancestors had the custom of "beating drums to mourn" and "all of them will jump" in ancient times.

"Sayeerhe" is a traditional sacrificial song and dance. Villagers gather in front of the coffin of the dead in Xiaojia hall. Men sing and dance, while women wear bright costumes. This kind of activity is often held all night long. Tujia people believe that human life and death are like the changes of four seasons, which is natural. The death of an old man who enjoys the best of his life conforms to the law of nature and is worth celebrating. In this way, Tujia people express their broad-minded view of life and death with wonderful singing and dancing. When dancing, the singers beat the drums to sing, and the dancers dance with the drums. There are 24 kinds of routines, such as "wind with snow", "phoenix spreading wings", "rolling body", "beauty combing hair", "cattle wiping back", "rhinoceros looking at the moon", "Yan'er Hanni", "ye'er he", etc.

"Sayeerha" is an integrated art of song, dance and music. It has a male voice of eight degrees, and its melody is an ancient characteristic of three degrees. It only exists in the north of Qingjiang River and Xingshan area on the North Bank of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, and has become a masterpiece among other kinds of songs. Its structure is similar to that of Chuci, from which we can still find the shadow of the ancient music of offering sacrifices to gods in Bachu. The song and dance show a valuable positive attitude towards life, which runs through the open-minded life concept.

"Sayeerhe" is unique to Tujia in Qingjiang, which has certain artistic value and academic research value.