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Hua’er



Chinese folk songs, particularly in Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia, were performed with Hua'er more than 600 years ago. It is a popular folk song and was created by nine nationalities, including Han, Hui, Tibetan, Tu, Mongol, Dongxiang, Salar, Bonan, and Yugur. Each of these ethnicities shares this song with others. International cultural exchange and emotional communication are facilitated by this music. Hua’er’s songs are incredibly effective and beautiful, as they draw inspiration from ethnic and traditional Chinese music. Hua’er has more than 100 tracks, each named according to the nationality or area of the song. This sounds like Dongxiang ling, Tu People ling, Hezhou ling, or White Peony ling.

Hua’er's music contains five notes of the pentatonic scale; it is high in tune, wide in range, free-rhymed, and full of expression. The lyrics in Hua’er were improvised by folk singers according to a certain formula. Each line has three, four, or five lines, and each is composed of seven characters. The meter indicates rhythm. It is possible to enter Hua'er competitions as a solo, duo, or as part of a group. Over 100 traditional Hua'er folk festivals are held each year in Gansu and Qinghai; they are held using their own time and venue, so folk singers can showcase their abilities.

Hua'er songs tell stories of young love, arduous work, and weariness of farming life, as well as of men and women's foibles and joie de vivre. The songs also provide a vivid record of recent social developments in China where singers comment on the changes they observe around them. Though Hua'er singers lacked formal education, they have become household names today, performing widely and even establishing their institutes to teach their art to future generations.

Hua'er, as a folk song passed from generation to generation, is an extremely valuable way to express people's minds and emotions. After some time, it developed into Hua'er meetings, which represent the best form of singing songs with distinctive folk elements. Meetings usually last for a period of two to six days and are usually a time for people to gather together and sing. Huaer Festival in Gansu and Qinghai was listed on the list of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage. A large number of excellent singers were identified as Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Practitioners, which led to increased awareness of the festival, increasing the sense of Hua'er identity and continuity.

At Hua’er Festival, people do not exchange names or ask where each other comes from. Instead, they exchange some Hua’er. For the young, it is a great opportunity for courtship through their song. For many, it is the perfect opportunity to test their singing ability and demonstrate their talents. This has led to the Meeting becoming a festival for ethnic groups, who wear their traditional costumes to attend during the most beautiful season of the plateau. Folk singers and those in charge of cultural communities and cultural centers came to realize the importance of preserving the festival and its practitioners.

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