Introduction to Han Folk Songs

Author: Jiang Mingdun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Folk songs are the most direct and authentic reflection of people's social life and emotional experiences. They have undergone a long process of oral creation by the masses, widespread dissemination, and collective refinement, becoming an intimate companion of the people's society. Whether in the equatorial regions with perpetual heat or the polar regions with year-round ice, whether on small islands surrounded by waves or highlands filled with sand and dust, folk songs have been passed down in every place where humans live. Over countless years and generations, the gentle streams of folk songs have converged into vast oceans, surging and, never drying up. This is an inexhaustible treasure trove of human art. The people use it to express their thoughts, emotions, and wills; artists draw rich artistic nourishment from it; social workers explore profound wisdom and the development of human civilization history from it. Our country is an ancient oriental nation with a history of five thousand years of civilization. On its vast land, there live hundreds of millions of hardworking and wise ethnic groups. The rich and diverse folk songs of each ethnic group bloom like splendid flowers, yielding abundant beauty. The music workers in our country are truly blessed. Unfortunately, due to insufficient self-study and research, I am unable to fully appreciate the beauty of all folk songs and describe them in detail. I can only begin by making a preliminary exploration of a relatively important part of our glorious national music culture—the folk songs of the Han ethnic group, sharing my personal insights and experiences in learning and researching, for your reference. This book is divided into sections such as Introduction, Genres of Folk Songs, Melodies of Folk Songs, etc.