Nanyin: fabulous traditional music from southeast China

[Photo by Xiaoyu Wang for China Plus]

Originally from Fujian province, Nanyin is an ancient Chinese music form with more than thousands of years of history. It is a fusion of ancient music from the Tang and Song dynasties, and it has many features unique to Fujian province. The music is sung in a southern Fujian dialect. In 2009, Fujian Nanyin was inscribed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

[Photo by Xiaoyu Wang for China Plus]

Gongchi, the musical notes of Nanyin are recorded on a five-note scale, similar to the musicology recorded in the inscription of Zeng Houyi's bell-chimes 2400 years ago. Therefore, Nanyin was praised as a gem of ancient Chinese art, it has also been labelled as a fossil of ancient music and palace music. 

[Photo by Xiaoyu Wang for China Plus]

Nanyin inheritor Chen Meiyu is adjusting the gestures and finger positions of her student while she is playing the traditional Chinese instrument, Pipa, also called Chinese four-stringed guitar. Pipa has more than 2000 years of history in China and acts as the conductor in Nanyin performance. 

[Photo by Xiaoyu Wang for China Plus]

Xiamen Nanyin Troupe is performing the classic piece of Nanyin, Jinshiyin, a famous love story of Chinese poetess Li Qingzhao and her husband. Nanyin was loved by many overseas Chinese and the foreign citizens residing in southern Fujian including Xiamen, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. There are many Nanyin organizations in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao and other south Asian countries. This means the southern Fujian accent can be handed down from generation to generation, and the music is a comfort for homesick overseas Chinese.

[Photo by Xiaoyu Wang for China Plus]

The Nanyin worshipers believe that the last emperor of Later Shu Dynasty (AD 933-966), Meng Chang, was the creator and god of Nanyin. On every 12^th of lunar February and August, all the associations and troupes of Nanyin will hold memorial ceremonies for the god, Meng Chang. The ceremonies are commonly called "Si Lang Jun", which translates to "offering sacrifices to Meng Chang".