(China Photo) Innovation and tradition collide, young people relay folk customs

　　China News Service, Fuzhou, February 26th: Innovation and tradition collide, young people relay folklore inheritance

　　Author Ye Qiuyun

　　During the Spring Festival this year, many traditional folk activities that have been passed down for thousands of years, such as the Fuzhou Changle God Tour, Chaoshan Ying Song and Dance, and Qinghai Shehuo, were performed lively across China, and they became popular one after another.

What attracts attention is that more and more young people are willing to participate in the relay of folk custom inheritance in the collision of innovation and tradition.

　　Reporters from China News Service found that children under the age of 10 participated in folk activities and performances in Fujian, Guangdong, Qinghai and other places, including Changle's "Little Prince", Qinghai's "Wandering Monkeys", and Nanshan Yingge Troupe's "Little Children". It becomes popular on the Internet, driving more tourists to get closer and understand traditional folk culture.

On the evening of February 23, at the "Send Mom to the Palace" event held on Meizhou Island, Putian City, Fujian Province, Cai Yucheng (first from the right), who was more than 3 years old, was playing a familiar instrument while performing Puxian's ten tones and eight pieces of music. Very conspicuous.

Photo by Gao Yacheng

　　"Dong dong, dong dong dong dong..." On the evening of February 23, at the "Send Mom to the Palace" event held on Meizhou Island, Putian City, Fujian Province, Cai Yucheng, who was only more than 3 years old, played the instrument and performed on the familiar road. The performers of "Puxian Ten Tones and Eight Music" are very conspicuous.

The video of him performing intangible cultural heritage skills has quickly become popular on social platforms, with netizens calling him a "little prodigy".

Nowadays, there is an endless stream of tourists coming to Meizhou Island to watch performances.

　　Coincidentally, in 2023, at the Qinghai Shehuo performance, the little "Monkey King" played by Li Qixun, who was more than 3 years old at the time, became popular on the Internet because of his unique walking posture, and was affectionately called "Wandering Monkey" by netizens.

During the Spring Festival this year, many tourists went to Qinghai to watch performances.

Some people say that it was because of last year’s “Wandering Monkey” that the whole network once again saw the social fire in Qinghai.

　　Putian folklore expert Zhang Yuanchang believes that traditional folklore activities have attracted much attention in recent years and have their own charm elements, and the participation of cute and "stalking" dolls is also one of the important factors.

　　In Changle, the hometown of overseas Chinese, there is a group of young people who established the Shenjiang Society to promote and pass on the traditional folk culture of wandering gods.

Gan Mantang, a professor at the Department of Sociology at Fuzhou University, discovered when studying traditional wandering folk activities that the post-80s generation contributed money, the post-90s generation managed it, and the post-00s generation contributed in Changle.

On the morning of February 19, a traditional wandering god folk activity was held in Houfu Village, Tantou Town, Changle District, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, attracting tourists from home and abroad.

Photo by China News Service reporter Lu Ming

　　"I hope to bring together young people who like traditional folk culture, follow the footsteps of the older generation, and pass on traditional folk culture." Lin Yating, a young person born in the 1990s, is the person in charge of Xinglong Society in Houfu Village, Tantou Town, Changle District. She was originally the drummer of Houfu Renlixing and initiated the establishment of Xinglong Club two years ago.

　　In the traditional folk activities of wandering gods in Houfu Village held on the tenth day of the first lunar month, the brave and high-spirited young "Zhang Shizi" and "Zhang Second Son" and other gods "came out of the circle" with their "good looks" and attracted a large number of tourists. Watch.

"Post-2000" Lin Bin is one of the designers of the new version of the image of the god. In an interview with a reporter from China News Service, he said that he was surprised that the god would become popular, but he was also very happy that he could spread Changle's traditional folk culture.

　　In the Youshen team, most of the people who support the generals are those born in the 2000s.

In Zhang Yuanchang's view, there are four reasons why young people love and respect traditional culture and pursue folk activities: first, to return to tradition and find a sense of belonging; second, to experience life and enrich life experiences; third, to challenge themselves and tap their potential. ; The fourth is to enjoy happiness and relax body and mind.

　　"Many people don't understand and think that traditional folk activities are 'superstitious', but they are not." Lin Guoping, a professor at the School of Social History of Fujian Normal University, believes that every folk activity has rich meanings and is an expression of people's cohesion. The embodiment of nostalgia; behind folk activities, there is also rich cultural connotation, a good wish and the culture of loyalty and filial piety.

On the evening of February 23, children participated in the Lantern Festival Lantern Parade event in Fengting Town, Xianyou County, Putian City, Fujian Province.

Photo by China News Service reporter Lu Ming

　　On the Internet, some people are in favor of traditional culture "going out of the circle", but some netizens question "whether it goes against tradition."

So, how should traditional culture “break the circle” and maintain the bottom line?

　　"Some folk activities have indeed 'changed' in the process of inheritance." Lin Guoping pointed out that traditional folk activities have been passed down for thousands of years and have formed a fixed pattern; as the times change, some appropriate changes will be made. Adjustment is the so-called innovation, but the purpose of innovation is to adapt to the current era and cater to the aesthetics of young people, not to suddenly become something unfamiliar.

All in all, innovation requires a step-by-step process.

　　At present, with the revival of traditional folk customs, cultural and tourism departments in various places have also joined the ranks of promotion.

Zhang Yuanchang is happy to see this. He said that the inheritance of folk culture not only enriches people's entertainment life, but also injects vitality and vitality into the protection and utilization of cultural heritage.

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