Yuanling folk songs are a form of folk music that originated from the production labor during the primitive farming period. They are spread in all towns and villages in Yuanling County. Yuanling is located in the western part of Hunan Province, with Wuling Mountain to the north and Xuefeng Mountain to the south. It is located in the belly of two major mountain ranges and is known as the "gateway to western Hunan". It is the largest county in Hunan Province in terms of area. It has been the seat of the county, state, road and prefecture, and is the political, economic and cultural center of western Hunan. In 2006, Yuanling folk songs were identified as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage list items in Hunan Province. Because Yuanling is in the mountains, transportation has been inconvenient for a long time and it is relatively isolated from the outside world. Therefore, Yuanling folk songs have maintained their original state and the folk song art style of this special region. Yuanling is a multi-ethnic settlement area with 25 ethnic minorities living together. The customs and habits of each ethnic minority are different, and the accents are very different. Influenced by Chuqian culture and river civilization, the folk songs are colorful and have many tones. Due to factors such as history, natural environment, customs, and pronunciation, the folk songs of Yuanling have formed three color areas in terms of style. That is, with Shenxikou as the center, the area on both sides of the upper reaches of the Yuanshui River in the territory is the Shanghe Dialect System; the area on both sides of the lower reaches of the Yuanshui River is the Xiahe Dialect System; and the area on both sides of the Youshui River in the territory is the Beihe Dialect System. Each dialect system is composed of multiple dialects to form the same style and color. Shanghe Dialect System: It is based on the "Luoyang Dialect" as the main color dialect. The characteristic of "Luoyang Dialect" is that the melody line continues to descend, just like the setting sun. The melody is gentle and long, the rhythm is relaxed and free, and there are rich improvisational ornaments in the singing, such as "The Big Star in the Sky Matches the Little Star". The second sentence of "Luoyang Dialect" is particularly long, more than twice the length of the first sentence. The words in the first sentence are basically evenly stretched. After a bar of supporting words, the beginning of the second sentence is basically one word and one sound, and the interval between words is lengthened from the third to last word. The second to last word is dragged out longer, with many interpolation words inserted, and when the last word appears, the whole song ends. Xiahe Dialect: It is mainly based on the "Dun-Dun Dialect". The melody of "Dun-Dun Dialect" is melodious. The first and third sentences are dragged with the same tone, combined with the characteristics of local voice, to form a unique style. This tone and the melody created by the voice add a unique color to the area on both sides of Xiahe River, such as "It will rain before the wind blows". Beihe Dialect: It is mainly based on the "Gaoshan Dialect". "Gaoshan Dialect" is high-pitched and free, and it varies greatly when sung by different people. The first and third sentences are long, which is exactly the opposite of the sentence length structure of "Luoyang Dialect", such as "1 Sister is as strong as an ox". When singing, the length of the free extension sound can be determined according to the breath volume of each person. The longer the sound, the more beautiful it is, and the more mountain flavor it has. The second sentence is much more compact, basically one word and one sound. Yuanling folk songs can be divided into three types according to rhythm and melody: high mountain folk songs, short-tail folk songs and sitting folk songs. High mountain folk songs: There are many high mountain folk songs, not only in the Beiheqiang system, but also in the Shangheqiang system and the Xiaheqiang system. Especially in the Xiaheqiang system, the singers also have a unique charm by combining the language characteristics. High mountain folk songs are songs shouted and sung in the mountains. The mountains are high and the pitch is high. The distance is far and the sound is long. Its characteristics are loud, unrestrained, very free rhythm, long drag, light sound and large jump, such as the high mountain tune Qiping folk song "1 sister is as strong as an ox". Short-tail folk songs: Short-tail folk songs are mainly distributed in the Xiaheqiang system, and there are also in the Shangheqiang system and the Beiheqiang system. Short-tail folk songs are songs sung in the fields and at close range. Its characteristics are relatively free rhythm, short drag, and relatively stable melody, such as the Chouxikou folk song "Seeing Sister Wearing a Green Dress". The "Dun Dun" folk songs of Xiaheqiang also belong to this category. Sitting and singing folk songs: Sitting and singing folk songs are popular in Shangheqiang and Xiaheqiang, but rarely seen in Beiheqiang. When encountering a happy event, everyone gathers together, one person leads and the others join in. The locals call it "Yangge", which is lively and lively. The lead singer is mostly improvised lyrics, and the singing is fixed. Its characteristics are beautiful melody, narrow range, less use of large jump intervals, regular rhythm, and the combination of lyrics and music is mostly one word and one tone. The structure is relatively short and generally does not drag the tune. It often takes the form of one person leading and many people joining in. For example, in "Swearing Song" and "Happy Song" of Nanshupu, the lead singer has a slightly free rhythm because he has to improvise lyrics. The rhythm of the singing is very regular and active. Yuanling folk songs can be divided into three categories according to the subject matter: love songs, life and current affairs. Love songs: As the saying goes, "No man and no woman, no song", which shows that love songs account for a considerable proportion. The love songs of Yuanling are sincere and implicit, and listening to them can reveal the pure hearts of men and women. For example, "Sing a folk song to test my sister's heart": "I see flowers in the shade across the river, and I want to pick flowers but I'm afraid the water is deep. I throw a stone to test the depth, and sing a folk song to test my sister's heart." Life: This type of folk songs involves many themes, including those that reflect the working life of the times, those that sing about spring, summer, autumn and winter, those that sigh about life, those that discuss things, those that solve problems, and those that praise good and punish evil. For example, "Folk songs are easy to sing but difficult to sing, apples are delicious but difficult to plant; white rice is delicious but difficult to cultivate, and carp is delicious but difficult to open the net"; "Don't be arrogant if you can't sing, don't use a knife if you can't split bamboo strips; don't go into the water if you can't row a boat, and don't let a rotten boat float in the water"; "Green balls grow on tung tree, and sisters don't hold grudges after fighting; only brothers can stay together until old, but sisters can't stay together until the end." Current affairs: This type of folk songs mainly express a kind of emotion and attitude towards society. For example, "To Be a Soldier, You Must Be a Red Army Soldier" and "Chasing Military Shoes" are folk songs left by the people of Yuanling who missed He Long and the Red Army when He Long led the Red Army on the Long March through Yuanling in 1935. Yuanling folk songs are the true expression and confession of the joy, anger, sorrow and happiness of the mountain people, and are important evidence for studying the history, religion, migration, production, life, love and folk customs of the nation. Its inheritance significance is reflected in the following aspects. 1. Expressing emotions and building a harmonious society. Folk songs express everyone's inner world, with rich emotions. The lyrics are derived from life, or implicit and lyrical, or bold and passionate, and are the sparks generated by the collision of hearts. Once the folk songs come out, they can untie thousands of knots in the heart. Therefore, they can touch people's hearts and achieve harmonious coexistence between people and harmonious integration between people and nature. 2. Show wisdom and cultivate sentiment. Folk songs have different regional styles and colors. They are the accumulation of life experience of the singers and a symbol of diligence and wisdom. The contents of folk songs are all improvised and sung according to the cause and effect of the events at that time, the specific environment and other factors. The answers are flexible and varied, reflecting the amazing wit and intelligence of the singers, and are mostly positive, healthy, optimistic, shocking and inspiring. 3. Recording events and history, educating future generations. Yuanling folk songs have been passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years from ancient times to the present. Singing about the sky and the earth, singing about the sun and the moon; singing about people and things, singing about emotions and current affairs, with a strong flavor of rural life, appropriate metaphors, vivid images; implicit expressions, profound meanings; humorous and interesting language, and thought-provoking. The content is mostly encouragement, teaching, and hope. It is a witness to history and a living fossil for educating future generations. Some historical events, geographical phenomena, and astronomical landscapes are recorded in folk songs. 4. Enriching life and being healthy and civilized. Yuanling folk songs originate from life and are loved by the general public. They are both an organic combination of life and art, and a concrete manifestation of spiritual civilization construction. Singing folk songs greatly improves the interest in life and harmonizes interpersonal relationships. 5. The source of creation is inexhaustible. Yuanling is rich in natural resources and has many outstanding people. The folk songs of Yuanling are even more profound and profound, like a magnificent historical and cultural wonder in the beautiful mountains and rivers, giving people unlimited imagination space, and giving artists new creative inspiration and inexhaustible creative materials. In 2006, Yuanling folk songs were identified as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage list projects in Hunan Province. The Yuanling County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center is the main body of the protection of this project. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)