Xinhua folk song

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Xinhua folk song

Applicant: Loudi City, Hunan Province

Item No.: 594

Project No.: Ⅱ - 95

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: Traditional Music

Region: Hunan Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Loudi City, Hunan Province

Protection unit: Meishan Chiyou culture research and development center of Xinhua County

Introduction to Xinhua folk song:

Applicant: Loudi City, Hunan Province

Xinhua County is located in the west of Loudi City, Hunan Province. It used to be an area inhabited by ethnic minorities and is an important area of Meishan culture. After thousands of years of ethnic integration, most of the Xinhua residents are sinicized, but they still keep the custom of singing folk songs. The long-standing Xinhua folk song is the product of the cultural integration of Han, Yao, Miao and other nationalities. It originated in the pre Qin period, flourished in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has been handed down from the Ming and Qing Dynasties for a long time.

The sentence patterns of Xinhua folk songs are long and short, and there are many words in slang dialects. It can be divided into two categories: high tune and low tune. High tune folk songs are mainly popular in high mountain areas, with high pitched and loud tone, long drawl, free rhythm, solo and duet. There is a kind of "Wuwa folk song" with "extra high tune" in Fengjiashan area, which can only be sung by top singers. When singing, falsetto is often used, so it is also called "sharp voice" folk song. There is also a kind of "rolling board folk song", which has a very high starting tone and strong jumping ability. It usually starts with one person and ends with a majestic "ha ha" sound. Rolling board style is magnificent. "Liuliu folk song" is quite popular in Xinhua County. It is named after adding the word "Liuliu" in the middle of every sentence. Low tune folk songs are popular in Hilly and plain areas, with low tone, short drag tone, solo and duet.

The traditional Xinhua folk songs can be divided into labor songs, political songs, ritual songs, Tao love songs and so on. His representative works include zishuitan song, Dongshi song, etc. There is a high pitched folk song "it's hard to guess the immortals coming down to earth" which was once sung in Huairen Hall of Zhongnanhai for Mao Zedong and other central leaders, becoming the most famous work of Xinhua folk song.

Xinhua folk songs reflect the folk customs and cultural traditions of Meishan area comprehensively and vividly, and are important materials for studying and understanding Huxiang culture and Meishan culture. At present, this ancient folk song style is in an endangered state, so it is urgent to rescue and protect it.