Huaer (Huaer of Ningxia Hui nationality)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Hua'er

Applicant: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Item No.: 51

Project No.: Ⅱ - 20

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Protection unit: cultural center of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (intangible cultural heritage protection center of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, exhibition hall of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region)

Introduction to Huaer (Ningxia Hui mountain Huaer)

Applicant: Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region

Huaer is a kind of folk song which is widely spread in Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang. It is a kind of folk song which can only be sung outside the village. It is generally called "Yequ" (as opposed to "Jiaqu" (banquet song) and also called "juvenile". Its singing is divided into two main occasions: daily production, life and "Huaer meeting". "Huaer Festival" is a large Folk Song Festival, also known as "singing mountain".

Shan Hua'er, commonly known as Gan Hua'er, Shan Qu Zi and ye Hua'er, is a representative folk song style widely sung in Ningxia Hui inhabited areas. It inherits some characteristics of ancient folk songs (Tuge, Xianghe and Lisong) in Longshan area. Chen Feng in the book of songs and Yuefu in the Han, Wei and southern and Northern Dynasties are the forerunners. The complex and pluralistic culture makes these folk songs more present the characteristics of transitional culture and marginal culture. The widely sung Hui mountain flower is one of the most representative, which has a broad mass base and rich folk culture connotation.

Shanhuaer belongs to the form of self singing and self entertainment or singing on a small scale. It inherits the ancient Longshan folk song "three sentences in a stack" and performs impromptu lyrics in the form of a single set of short songs. Shanhuaer music inherits the four and five tone characteristics of ancient Longshan Tuge, absorbs many factors of Xintianyou, climbing mountain tune, Taomin Huaer, Hehuang Huaer and Islamic tone, and mostly uses the five tone mode.

Shan Hua'er has distinct characteristics in literature and music, unique style and strong local flavor, which keeps the rough and unconstrained characteristics of wild folk songs, and has the tendency of smooth and beautiful minor charm; it is a vivid expression of Hui culture in Ningxia region, and has the research value of Ethnology and folklore; Shan Hua'er's three sentences in one fold and double suffix rhyme are the more unique folk songs in Longshan region Song form has high literary value. On the basis of Shang's four tone tune and five tone tune, it has evolved into a unique Hua'er song with various forms, tonality, melody and rhythm. The representative repertoire of Ningxia Hui nationality's Hua'er includes "drinking water from cattle on the Bank of the Yellow River", "a look at the GAHUA in my heart", "Hua'er is originally the words in my heart" and so on.

At present, there are few singers who can master more than one repertoire and style, and most of them have passed the age of rarity. The link of natural inheritance has been broken, and the impact of modernization makes its native cultural characteristics continue to lose. The survival of Shanhua is in crisis, which must be paid attention to by the relevant parties.