Wenzhou drum lyrics is a kind of folk art popular in Wenzhou, Zhejiang and its neighboring areas, commonly known as "singing lyrics". Because most of the artists in the past were blind, it is also called "blind lyrics" or "blind lyrics". It is performed in Wenzhou dialect, has a strong local color and unique artistic style, and has been circulated in the middle of the Qing Dynasty. Historical Origin Speaking of the origin of Wenzhou drum lyrics, let's first talk about the "ancestor" circulated by drum lyrics artists. Artists say that the "ancestor" of Wenzhou drum lyrics is the uncle of Emperor Minghuang of Tang. He was smart, good at writing and poetry since he was a child, and familiar with music. Later, he became blind due to illness and experienced the pain of blindness. He taught the blind to sing drum lyrics to make himself mistaken, so there were drum lyrics among the people. Wenzhou drum lyrics has a long history. From the perspective of literary form. It is in the same vein as the Tang Dynasty's Bianwen, because "Dunhuang Bianwen is the pioneer of various rap literature in later generations." Regarding its specific formation era, one theory is that it began in the Southern Song Dynasty. Those who hold this view use the historical background and geographical environment of the time as the basis for analysis and argumentation. The Jin soldiers invaded and the Song Dynasty moved south. The political, economic and cultural centers of the Song Dynasty moved southward. As a form of rap that is popular among the people, quyi also moved southward with the migration of the nation. Another theory is that Wenzhou drum lyrics "began in the Ming Dynasty and was formed by the combination of the songs and lyrics of the lanes in Hengyang." Hengyang is now Pingyang; the songs of the lanes refer to folk tunes. At that time, the literati and smart blind artists in the wild inherited the mantle of ancient music, absorbed local folk tunes, and created a rap form. After more than 200 years of development, it has also been perfected in instrumental music and music. At present, the beautiful music of drum lyrics can be heard almost everywhere in Wenzhou rural areas, and the masses also like to hum a few popular tunes of drum lyrics. Artistic characteristics Wenzhou drum lyrics can be divided into two types according to the singing style: one is called "Pingci", which is sung at weddings and funerals, or to entertain guests, or to admit mistakes and punish due to disputes. Another is called "Daci", also known as "Niangniangci". Before liberation, they were all sung in temples dedicated to goddesses. When singing Daci, one drum and one beat are used, and the big drum and the big gong are beaten. The tune is high-pitched, rough, and relatively primitive. Its main lyrics are "Chen Shisi Niangniang", which sings the story of Chen Shisi learning magic to destroy demons, and can be sung for several days and nights. Wenzhou drum lyrics have both singing and speaking, with singing as the main style. Its singing style and tunes have a strong southern folk song flavor. The basic tunes of drum lyrics include dozens of board styles such as slow board, flowing water, and tight board. Since Wenzhou drum lyrics are sung in Wenzhou dialect (based on the Ruian language), the pronunciations in different places are different, and the singing style also has its own characteristics. Its singing style is divided into southern and northern schools. The southern school tunes are more delicate and soft; the northern school tunes are more rough and simple. Wenzhou drum lyrics are good at expressing emotions and narrating stories. The lyrics are colloquial and easy to understand, and are interspersed with rich popular vocabulary and folk proverbs. There are three forms of lyrics: "folded book", "novel", and "book". Its syntactic structure is basically seven-character sentences, and sometimes five-character sentences and overlapping boards are used. Its style is generally composed of rhyme and dialogue. The singing rhyme pays great attention to natural rhyme and harmonious syllables, maintaining the characteristics of folk rap music. The main instruments used in Wenzhou drum lyrics singing are flat drums, three-grain boards, cow tendon pianos, and small moon-shaped clappers. Therefore, the biggest feature of the performance is that one person can play four to six instruments in a single performance. At the same time, one person must play various roles (now sometimes using male and female duets), and requires clear pronunciation and detailed character portrayal. The plot must be explained in detail, and the personality and demeanor of the characters must be accurately grasped. One person can create a variety of characters with different personalities and imitate various sounds to create an atmosphere. The themes of Wenzhou drum lyrics are mostly drawn from folk legends and historical novels, most of which express family joys and sorrows and love stories. The ethics, aesthetic tastes, and life values they spread are consistent with the spirit of traditional culture. The drum lyrics with Wenzhou humanistic characteristics include "Gaoji and Wu Sanchun", "Wang Shipeng Zhongzhuangyuan", "Chen Shisi Captures the Monster", etc., as well as "Nine Beauties", "Fenzhuanglou", "Erdumei", "The Legend of Yue", "Seven Heroes and Five Gallants", "The Investiture of the Gods", etc. Wenzhou drum lyrics use auditory thinking to associate, imagine, and reproduce the scenes of historical events and characters. It has become an important way to spread Chinese history and culture, and an artistic expression form that illiterate people love to hear and see. The known inheritors of Wenzhou drum lyrics include Bai Mensong, A Guanger, Mao Xingfa, Chen Changde in the Qing Dynasty, Cao Daiqing, Chen Renlian, Li Qingxin, Li Linmu, Bai Xiangzhen, Wang Akun in the Republic of China, Guan Huashan, Ruan Shichi, Zheng Mingqin, Ding Lingsheng, Chen Zhixiong, Fang Keduo, Xu Yuyan, Lin Xiuzhen, etc. since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Since the 21st century, the development of Wenzhou drum lyrics has faced difficulties, with few performances and no successors, and it is in urgent need of protection. The country attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, the art was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.