Collection of Chinese Folk Songs: Macao Volume edited by CityU scholar earns national excellence in publishing title

The project titled Collection of Chinese Folk Songs: Macao Volume, led by Professor Dai Dingcheng from the Faculty of Innovation and Design (FIAD) at City University of Macau (CityU), has recently been awarded the title of “selected project for the excellence in Chinese folk music heritage publishing initiative” and is published in Beijing.

This honor represents the highest accolade for publications in Chinese folk music. With the support of the Center for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Macao Foundation, Professor Dai and his editorial team conducted in-depth field research, including first-hand interviews and audio-visual collection.

The selection was conducted through a rigorous process showcasing representative folk songs from Macao to the readers. It includes Cantonese folk songs (such as the folk songs by boat people, known as the saltwater songs; farming songs; children’s songs; Nanyin, known as the southern tunes; Cantonese love songs, known as the Yue Ou; dragon boat songs; fixed tunes, known as Cantonese operatic xiaoqu; and songs accompanied by traditional percussion, also known as bayin) and Fujian dialect folk songs, featuring nearly 200 pieces along with biographies of the artists.

Years in the making, this book not only fills a gap in the collection of Macao’s folk songs but also plays a significant role in promoting music creation and enhancing local culture in the city.

Source: Faculty of Innovation and Design