Qingpu Folk Singing

TIANSHANGE is a uniqueform of folk tune in Wudialect （spoken in Shanghai，Zhejiang Province， and insoutheastern Jiangsu Province）. TheTianshange in Qingpu District， Shanghai，boasts distinctive regional features.The earliest recorded reference toQingpu Tianshange dates back to theQing Dynasty （1644-1911）， and in 2008，this form of art was included in the listof national intangible cultural heritageitems of China.

As the name Tianshan （ge is songin Chinese） — literally meaning “fieldsand hills” — indicates， the developmentand popularity of these tunes is closelylinked with the region’s agriculturallifestyle. Qingpu sits in a major rice productionzone in China. In the past， Qingpuemployed a labor-intensive farmingmethod， so when farmers worked infields together， one person acting as alead singer would start a song and otherstook turns in following him. Singingwhile performing intensive labor upliftedspirits and relieved fatigue， and alsohelped improve coordination for tasks.At its peak， the uplifting， clear tunesof Tianshange were also sung beyondfields as leisure activities and at gatherings.

A typical Tianshange song generallyconsists of a solo， chorus， men’s chorus，women’s chorus， and other sections.The melodies are often high-pitched and dyn37df44818471a4574bccdeb11aca5ca54464f3c53d439d4862aaf947cc3420a5amic， and the lyrics cover all aspectsof everyday life， folk customs， and sentimentsof the local community.

Four preservation bases were set upin Qingpu to better preserve， pass down，and showcase the unique charm ofTianshange. The base in Zhujiajiao hasopened a new path of innovative performanceby singing Tianshange on itspicturesque water-town landscape.

Today， visitors to Zhujiajiao can enjoythe lovely tunes of Tianshange in traditionalteahouses， while sipping tea andhaving green bean snacks. In this ancienttown， there is a creative team dedicatedto composing songs and musicals basedon Tianshange and imparting educationabout this art at local schools. Theirproductions have shone at major eventssuch as the China International ImportExpo and the Conference on Interactionand Confidence Building Measures inAsia Summit， expanding their fan baseworldwide.