Puding County is located in the west-central part of Guizhou Province and belongs to Anshun District. It has a total area of 1,091 square kilometers and a population of about 420,000. The county is located on the slope of the east side of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The Sancha River, the southern source of the Wujiang River, runs across the middle of the county from west to east, dividing the county into two major parts, south and north. The Miao "Ancient Songs" circulated in Puding County are circulated in Miao villages in ethnic townships such as Houchang, Bulang, Pingshang, and Maodong in the county. The style of circulation can be divided into two schools, the Dahua Miao and the Shuixi Miao, according to the different branches of the Miao ethnic group. Except for the different languages and singing tunes, the contents of the "Ancient Songs" of the two schools are similar, but the four-tone harmony Miao "Ancient Songs" of the Houchang Xianma Dahua Miao are better preserved and passed on more completely. The Miao people are one of the oldest ethnic groups in China. More than 4,000 years ago, they lived in the vast and fertile land north of the Yangtze River and south of the Yellow River. During the Yanhuang period, the Yellow Emperor's tribe, in order to expand its power, joined forces with the Yan Emperor to attack the Chiyou tribe, and Chiyou was defeated. "The Records of the Five Emperors" records: "Chiyou rebelled and did not obey the emperor's orders, so the Yellow Emperor summoned the princes and fought with Chiyou in the wilds of Zhuolu." After the defeat, the Chiyou tribal alliance split or reorganized and migrated. One part went south, and the other part migrated to the southwest. In the process of migrating to the southwest, when passing through the "Nai Dang Bu Da" (also known as the Hunshui River by the Miao people), which was very wide and the two sides of the river were very flat, the boats carrying the text were swallowed by the flood. Since then, the documents recording the history of the Miao ancestors have been lost, and Chiyou has only been passed down as a god of war. Due to the loss of written language, the ancestors of the Miao people recorded and sang the history of the Miao people in the form of songs, forming a huge system of Miao "ancient songs", including poems, songs, stories and legends, and various lyrics. Among this suffering nation of great migration, there is a tribe that calls itself "Amao" (today's Dahua Miao), which drifted in the Wumeng Mountain area, namely Weining, Hezhang, Langdai, Ziyun, Puding, Zhijin and other areas. Some of them came to Xianma Village, Houchang Township, Puding County. In order to commemorate and let future generations remember their miserable history of fleeing from prosperity to weakness, and to inspire them to obtain a new life through their own efforts, the ancestors of the Xianma Miao people, in addition to singing previous songs, compiled the history of escape and migration into ballads, often gathered together to sing, and later it became a convention to sing once a week. As life gradually stabilized, the content of singing gradually became richer, including historical, love, and yearning for a new life, forming a huge and magnificent Miao "ancient song" system that encompasses the world and all things in the universe. This huge Miao "Ancient Song" system has been passed down and protected in Xianma Village, Houchang Township, with its unique artistic expression form, Xianma Four-tone Harmony, recording the national history of this ethnic group. The Miao "Ancient Song" in Puding County is rich in content, covering the worldview, outlook on life, values and national history of the Xianma Miao people. Its structure is huge and all-encompassing, including mythological ancient songs, Miao historical songs, great songs, Miao love songs, stories and legends, etc. "The Beginning of Chaos", "Pangu", "Gu Bai'ai and Du Bai'ou", "Gu Fu" and other songs in the mythological "Ancient Song" are all records of the Miao people's cognition of the world. For example, "The Beginning of Chaos" wrote: The sky is great and compassionate, and the ancient earth is the most famous. In ancient times, there was no heaven and earth, and Pangu created the world with true feelings. Two eyes become the sun and the moon, and sweat drops become stars. Bones become hillsides and mountains, and blood becomes nine rivers flowing eastward. It is Yang Ya who explores the sky and makes it stable, and it is You Wang who measures the earth and makes the earth flat. It was Yang Ya who shot down nine suns and moons, and it was the sun and moon that made the world dark for thirteen years. It was the rooster that called the world to see the light again, and it was Gu Baiai that made the dark clouds roll in the sky. It was Du Baiou that made the sky white, and it was Gu Fu that made the world have men and women in pairs. It was Gu Beng who happily carried water to the gate of heaven, and it was Zhu Liu who flooded the world. Di Mi Diaoma gave birth to the second generation of people underground, and it was Gu Baiai who gave birth to Zhu Hasiliu, who ruled the death and life of the world in heaven. The ancient songs of the Miao people recorded the migration history of the Miao people from prosperity to decline, from the plains to the mountains. For example, "Gu Bo Yang Lu" sings: Where is Yang Lu's original hometown? The riverside and the sea are his hometown. Where did Yang Lu settle? He settled in Gelegesang. It used to be Heiyang Daqing, and later it was the famous city of Guiyang. The Yang Lu family has a full warehouse of gold, silver and grain, and the Yang Lu family is strong and has strong horses; the Yang Lu family is the most united, and the Yang Lu family goes to war together. Shuoge is an indispensable funeral song in the Miao funeral. Some call it "Kai Lu Ge" or "Kai Lu Ci", which is a record of Miao customs. A Shuoge is composed of 30 ancient songs, and the content is divided into three parts: life, calling heaven and earth, and hometown. Life mainly sings about: a person, from the time he is born to the end of his life, is a law of life. Parents are as kind as a mountain and their love for their children is as deep as the sea. Calling heaven and earth is the main component of Shuoge. From the beginning of the world, the birth of all things, the origin of mankind, one after another, and each section is a complete ancient song, with high historical and literary value. Hometown trip mainly sings about the migration route of the Miao people in the west. After Chi You was defeated, the Miao ancestors fled their hometown and crossed "Nai Dang Bu Da" (Yellow River) to Guizhou, as well as the subsequent migration history in this area. In addition, ancient songs describing the customs of the Xianma Miao people also appear in other categories. The Miao ancient songs of Puding County are a true portrayal of the emotional life of the Miao people, such as: (Male) Sister, what are you thinking about? Do you know how to pick flowers? (Female) Brother, I know, I really want to turn into a bird and fly to you. The Miao people are one of the first ethnic groups to break feudal customs and advocate freedom of marriage, and Miao love songs provide a historical basis for this. In addition to love songs, "Yanglu Historical Songs" also records: It is difficult to get married due to the distance between mountains and rivers, and the music and dance are better than wax colors. Wearing silk and straw raincoats, they all call for free love. The reed pipe makes the hillside turn, and the mouth string moves the heart. Men and women are willing to be in pairs, and they will not abandon one man and one woman. From then on, the Miao family's marriage will never change from generation to generation. The Miao "Ancient Song" is not restricted by time and space when it is sung, and it is sung impromptu, but there are certain regulations on the personnel. At least four people are required to complete it, because the same lyrics must be sung simultaneously with four harmonious scores. In addition to improvisation when singing love songs, the lyrics generally have certain regulations. Related instruments and products: 1. Accompaniment instruments: The Miao "Ancient Song" is often sung without accompaniment in four-tone harmony. It can also be sung with instrumental accompaniment; generally the singer sings, and other musicians accompany with instruments, and some singers sing and play at the same time. The instruments used for accompaniment are: reed pipe, mouth string, suona, bronze drum, and trumpet. 2. The handwritten Miao "Ancient Song" is a valuable document recording the ancient songs of the Xianma Miao. 3. "Puding County Miao Hymn", Puding County "Selected Miao Mythology Epics". The Miao "Ancient Songs" circulated in Puding County are also the crystallization of collective creation passed down by the Xianma Miao people after thousands of trials and tribulations. They have broad mass and folk inheritance. In the long process of oral transmission, every Xianma Miao people is a singer. Everyone sings while working and in life, forming a huge Miao ancient song system. The structure of the ancient song system is huge and magnificent, covering all directions of the world and all things in the universe. There are mythological ancient songs, Miao historical songs, great songs, Miao love songs, stories and legends, etc., which record the migration history of the Xianma Miao people and cover the outlook on life and values of the Xianma Miao people. At the same time, singing in the Dahua Miao language is another feature of the inheritance of the Xianma Miao "Ancient Songs". (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)