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NTRO: In northwest China, farmers from different ethnic groups are maintaining a tradition of singing traditional songs when courting the woman of their dreams. The songs have been added to UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. China View went along to find out more about this unique folk art.
(Singing by Ma Xiaojuan and friends)
“I can see the green chives in my courtyard. Don’t trim them. Just let them grow. I can see the tears in your eyes. Don’t wipe them. Let them flow. My dear lover, don’t forget the things you said to me. Keep every single word in your mind.
VO: When they were asked to perform a traditional love song for China View, four young singers from the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture put on festive outfits and brought our reporter to this valley.
They said this type of singing, known as hua’er, must be performed in an outdoor environment, where the singers can feel more free to express their true emotions.
Hua’er originated in the 14th century in Linxia, a Muslim-populated area in northwest China’s Gansu Province, and later spread to neighboring provinces and autonomous regions, including Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang.
The songs are traditionally sung by farmers when spending time with their loved ones. Most of the melodies are passed down orally, while the lyrics are improvised.
Hua'er, which literally means flower, is said to have got its name from the image of a blooming flower that symbolized a beloved woman. It’s also called “wild song," since it is often sung in the wild.
SOUNDBITE(CHINESE) MA XIAOJUAN, Hua’er Singer:
“I grew up listening to hua’er. In my culture, we use it to express all kinds of emotions in life, happiness or anger, sadness or joy. When I start to sing, I feel nothing but pleasure and love.
VO: Hua’er has remained popular in northwest China for centuries. An annual hua'er festival is scheduled in Linxia every late August, attracting singers of all ages from near and far.
There is no boundary between the audience and the performers at the open-space festival. Anyone who feels inspired to sing can stand up at any time and do so.
Many hua'er songs begin with metaphoric and symbolic depictions of scenery before developing into the real theme, which may be young love, sad departures, yearning lovers and the foibles of men and women.
In the past, it was actually forbidden to sing hua’er within one's household or most parts of the village due to its occasionally erotic content. But that has changed since hua’er was added to UNESCO's Representative List of intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
The Chinese government recognizes a number of hua'er singers as master inheritors of the art form and provides them with subsidies so that they may teach it to others. 70-year-old Ma Jinshan is one of these masters.
(Singing by Ma Jishan)
“I’m a dragon up in the sky, while my beloved woman is a flower on earth. Only when the dragon brings rain, will the flower turn red.
VO: Since 2009, Ma has trained nearly 150 students ranging in age from 15 to over 50. He has also recorded over 200 traditional songs for teaching and research purposes.
He began to sing hua'er in his childhood, when he tended sheep grazing in the mountains. He learned it from elder shepherds who often sang hua'er to dispel loneliness or flirt with women.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) MA JINSHAN, hua’er singer:
“At that time, I was too young to understand the messages in the songs. But as I grew older, I knew they were about love. I also came to realize that hua’er is part of the culture of several ethnic groups in northwest China.
VO: Nine of his students have been admitted to conservatories across China. Some have already become renowned professional singers in the prefecture. Although this has made him proud, he is also a little worried at the same time.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) MA JINSHAN, Hua’er Singer:
“I worry sometimes that I’m already too old to perform. My students have moved to big cities, where they probably have no chance to sing the most original hua’er.
VO: But Luo Ying, the manager of a local troupe, disagrees with Ma. He said hua’er has to integrate with modern art forms so it can attract younger listeners.
His troupe was established in 2007 and was the first to bring hua’er into the commercial realm.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) LUO YING, Troupe Manager:
“Traditionally, hua’er is performed solo or as a duet. It doesn’t involve dancing. The new version has new and different ways of singing, as well as choreography, to give it more artistic appeal.
VO: At the beginning, the troupe had little opportunity to make money, as theirsinging style was not welcomed by audiences in cities. Many performers were forced to go back to farming or work as migrant workers in other provinces.
However, business started to take off for the troupe after Luo decided to revamp their repertoire.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) LUO YING, troupe manager:
“Now our troupe gets around 450 invitations to perform annually, including hua’er concerts and big shows that combine singing and dancing. In addition to those who work full-time in the troupe, we have also recruited part-time singers to join in our performances, as this can bring more diversity.
VO: Luo is not the only one who believes in modernizing this ancient art. Su Yang, a rock musician from Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is known for covering traditional hua’er songs in his own style.
(Singing by Su Yang at rock concert) Song title: The Fresh Flowers Bloom
VO: Adapted versions of hua'er songs may appeal to outsiders, but in Linxia, many local residents still prefer original hua’er performances, as they believe they are more down-to-earth and spontaneous.
For them, singing hua’er represents not just an intimate interaction between lovers, but a bonding experience for families and friends.
SOUNDBITE (CHINESE) JIANG SHENGLI, local official:
“Hua’er has proved that it can attract people from different ethnic groups and different regions. It has strong vitality. It’s the soul of northwest China.Enditem
