The Opening Ceremony of the 2023 China Huaer Conference
and the second "Huaer in Linxia by the River" Cultural Tourism Festival

On June 13th, the three-day 2023 China Huaer Conference and the second "Huaer in Linxia by the River" Cultural Tourism Festival kicked off in Hezheng County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.

The 2023 China Huaer Conference and the second "Huaer in Linxia by the River" Cultural Tourism Festival is 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, and other organizations. It will be held at the Songmingyan Scenic Area, a national 4A-level tourist attraction, in Hezheng County. With the theme of "Protection, Inheritance, Development and Communication", this activity will last until June 15th.

The event invited folk singers from seven provinces (Yunnan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Chongqing, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, and Shaanxi), as well as Huaer singers from four provinces (Qinghai, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps) and Dingxi City in Gansu Province and Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture to participate in the performances.

In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, this grand event will also feature activities such as the National Huaer Performance, the Opening Ceremony of the Huaer Culture Theme Exhibition, field visits by "Huaer" experts and scholars, the Fourth National Huaer Academic Symposium, and folk song performances. These series of events aim to promote the protection andance of traditional music at multiple levels and dimensions, build the "trump card" of intangible cultural heritage, and showcase the charm of being the "Hometown of Chinese Huaer."

Huaer is a type of folk song popular in Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and other regions. It is believed that Huaer, which originated in the early Ming Dynasty, have a history of at least four hundred years. Since its inception, people have been singing "Huaer" aloud while working in the fields or grazing in the mountains.

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 May 2006, "Huaer" was approved by the State Coucil to be included in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage list. In 2009, Huaer was included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

In the world of "Huaer", there is a well-known place called Songmingyan, which is the venue for this grand event. During the Ming Dynasty, the Songmingyan Temple was built at Songmingyan. Every year on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month, the "Longhua Festival" would be held here. Later, the "Longhua Festival" gradually evolved into the Huaer Festival. Today, the Huaer Festival remains a beautiful landscape in Hezheng County, carrying its unique genes that have been passed down for hundreds of years.

"Huaer" is an indispensable part of the lives of the people in the Linxia region, and it brings the most joyful melodies to their lives. Over the years, the provinces and regions in Northwest China have made great efforts and contributions in the protection,ance, and development of "Huaer", revitalizing the art of floral culture. For example, in recent years, Linxia Prefecture has established the magazineChinese Huaer, collected over 5,300 pieces of floral literature, cultivatedors of floral intangible cultural heritage, organized academic symposiums on "Huaer", and hosted the Huaer Singer Grand Prix, effectively promoting theance, innovation, and flourishing of floral culture. (Wu Junli)