Yang Asha

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yang Asha

Applicant: Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Item No.: 548

Project No.: i-61

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Folk Literature

Region: Guizhou Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Protection unit: Institute of culture of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture

About Yang Asha:

Applicant: Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province

Yangasha is a long narrative song of Miao nationality, which is popular in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province and its adjacent areas. It has more than 10000 lines, and is the longest narrative song of Miao nationality found so far. Its content is about a passionate, kind and intelligent Miao girl who was born in the water. Singing in the form of Pan song has distinct national characteristics and occupies a high position in the history of Miao literature. It plays a significant role in promoting the development of Miao ballads, especially narrative songs.

Different oral versions of Yang Asha have different singing methods, and the singing tunes of each version are directly related to the singing customs, which greatly enriches the content and form of Miao music. Yang Asha is also known as the "most beautiful song" of Miao nationality, which has important research value in ethnology, folklore, history and other aspects. Now the spread of Yang Asha is getting smaller and smaller, the vast majority of the people who can sing a complete Yang Asha are the elderly, so the rescue and protection of Yang Asha is imminent.