Resounding in Linxia: The 2023 China Huaer Conference to Open on June 13th

"Huaer is words from the heart, an emotion that cannot help but be sung."

On June 13th, the 2023 China Huaer Conference and the second "Huaer in Linxia by the River" Cultural Tourism Festival will be held at the Songmingyan National 4A-level Tourist Scenic Area in Hezheng County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. During the event, Huaer experts and scholars from across the country, as well as outstanding Huaer singers from the northwest region, will gather in the "hometown of Chinese Huaer" to enjoy, listen to, and share stories about Huaer songs.

"Huaer" is not actual flowers but a genre of folk songs that originated in the early Ming Dynasty. It is named after comparing women to flowers in lyrics and focused on love stories. It portrays various aspects of social life throughout different periods. Huaer songs are widely circulated in the northwestern provinces and regions of Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, and Xinjiang, and are hailed as the soul of folk songs in the Great Northwest. The singing style is free and loose, hence it is also called "Man Huaer".

The theme of this event is "Protection, Inheritance, Development, and Communication". It is jointly organized by the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association, the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, the Gansu Provincial Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Linxia Prefecture Committee of the Communist Party of China, and the People's Government of Linxia Prefecture. The event will span three days.

Linxia, the host of the China Huaer Conference, was historically known as Hezhou. It is home to multiple ethnic groups such as the Hui, Han, Dongxiang, Bao'an, Sala, and Tu. Linxia is the birthplace of two major types of Huaer in China: "Hezhou Huaer" and "Lianhua Mountain Huaer". As early as the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty, there were poems circulating in the world with verses like "With a flick of the whip, I stroll along fragrant paths, hearing the intermittent melodies of Huaer songs".

In 2004, Linxia Prefecture was honored with the title of "Hometown of Chinese Huaer" by the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association. Kangle County and Hezheng County were respectively named "Chinese Huaer Conservation Base" and "Chinese Huaer Inheritance Base" by the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association. In 2009, Huaer was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. It becomes a treasure of Chinese folk songs and enjoys a reputation both at home and abroad.

Flowers are the most beautiful plants in the world. Huaer is named after "flowers", so it stands out among the world's folk songs, embodies boundless love, and showcases the creative and rich artistic imagination of the people in the hometown of Huaer. In recent years, in order to protect, inherit, and promote Huaer culture, the Linxia Prefecture Committee and Prefecture Government have focused on creating a cultural and tourism industry worth billions of yuan. The protection, inheritance, and promotion of Huaer culture have been regarded as important components of integrated cultural and tourism development. Through measures such as collecting and organizing historical and cultural materials related to Huaer, training and cultivating inheritors of Huaer intangible cultural heritage, organizing high-level Huaer events, and establishing Huaer cultural museums, they have allowed this precious cultural and spiritual wealth of Huaer to shine brightly once again.

During this event, a series of activities will be held, including the National Huaer Exhibition, field research by Huaer experts and scholars, thematic exhibitions on Huaer culture, the 4th National Huaer Academic Seminar, folk song performances, the promotion conference of cultural tourism resources and investment projects in Linxia Prefecture, the "Hezhou Flavors - Linxia Delicacies" special food appreciation event, and the exhibition of characteristic products.

In the vibrant month of June, let's gather in Linxia and enjoy the festivities together! Don't miss it!