The Qingpu District government plans to launch a new course in middle schools to revive field folk songs, a traditional art form in the district, as part of a five-year plan, officials said yesterday.

The district is now applying for city-level non-material cultural heritage protection for the field folk songs that were originally created by farmers when working in the fields.

Field folk songs, said to have a history of nearly 1,000 years, feature loud and sonorous tunes, sung in the district dialect, and reflect rice-planting culture in the water towns.

"But the traditional art form is facing extinction, unless we take measures for its protection," said Li Weihong, an officer in the district's cultural center.

She said fewer than 100 people can sing the songs now, with the youngest already 73 years old.

To save the songs, the district plans to start a course in its middle schools to teach students the art of singing such songs. Old folk singers will be invited to sing the songs for the students and train some teachers.

But there will be difficulties as students nowadays are more used to speaking mandarin rather than the Qingpu dialect, which is the language used in the field folk songs. Besides, the big cultural gap between old folk singers and young students can hinder communication, Li said.

"At least the students will get a chance to listen to the traditional music. It is better than getting no opportunity," she said.

The district is also organizing some music professionals to record the melodies and lyrics of the songs and create some new songs based on the traditional musical elements so that the life of the folk songs can be extended further, she added.

(Source: www.shanghai.gov.cn )