The custom of boat-beating songs in Le'an (the fourth batch at the provincial level) The custom of boat-beating songs in Le'an is a folk activity popular in the Niutian and Wanchong townships in the southwest of Le'an County. It originated from Shuinan Village on the south bank of Wujiang River. According to the history of Shuinan Village, the custom of boat-beating songs was introduced by the Zhang ancestor of the village, Shiyan Gong, during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty, and has a history of more than 1,300 years. In the past, due to the inconvenience of land transportation in Le'an, the main river in the territory, Niutian River (also known as Wujiang River and Enjiang River), was mainly used for internal and external exchanges and transportation. In history, the annual "payment of imperial grain" and the livelihood of people who made a living by shoving boats and launching rafts involved thousands of households. In order to pray to the gods to bless the fleet to have a smooth journey and return safely, the local people held a grand ceremony before the fleet set off. The ceremony begins with burning incense, lighting candles, kneeling and praying in the ancestral halls and temples where the statues are enshrined in the village, and then carrying seven statues of the gods, including "Wu Xian Zhenren", "Land God", and "Five Crown Princes", to parade in the main lanes of the village. Wherever they go, every household comes out in full force, lighting incense, lighting candles, setting off firecrackers, kneeling and worshipping the gods, and the scene is very spectacular. After the "parade of gods" is over, the statues are sent back to the ancestral temples. In the evening, the villagers sit together and sing "boat songs" (locally known as "boat songs"). There are 167 lyrics of "boat songs" preserved today, all of which are seven-character sentences. Most of them express "praying for the gods' blessings, good weather and good harvests every year, and peace and prosperity for the country and the people". The melody has the characteristics of "boatman's songs", which are rough, grand, and melodious at the end. The accompaniment instruments are a drum and a gong (in its heyday, there were also huqin, flute, yueqin, suona, etc.), accompanied by the shouts of the onlookers and the sound of the "magic guns", forming a unique atmosphere and charm. The "boat-beating song" is performed from the 13th to the 16th day of the first lunar month every year, and it must be sung for three consecutive nights. In the early morning of the fourth day, all the men, women, and children in the village go to the village entrance to see the fleet off. At this time, the invited Taoist priest draws a large "boat-shaped picture" with various sacred birds and symbols on it, and then hangs it on the firewood shed to burn (called "boat-beating"). The villagers then offer a bowl of wine (farewell wine), a bowl of tea (peace tea), and a bowl of hot porridge (homesickness porridge). After drinking the wine, tea, and porridge, the boatmen set off in high spirits. The villagers beat gongs and drums, set off firecrackers, and waved goodbye reluctantly. The whole "boat-beating song" activity ends here. In 2013, the Le'an boat song custom was included in the fourth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage list.