Hua'er
Hua'er is a high-pitched mountain song of Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia, sung in named tunes with paired verses and a piercing voice.
Related
Time and place
Hua'er is sung in Linxia in Gansu, eastern Qinghai and southern Ningxia. Since the Ming and Qing it has belonged to fields, hillsides, temple fairs and the hua'er fairs at Lianhua Shan and Laoye Shan. Han, Hui, Tibetan, Dongxiang, Bao'an and Salar singers share the repertoire.
Musical features
It is a mountain song, not an urban tune. Melodies are mostly pentatonic with wide leaps; the opening phrase sits high, the voice switches between chest and falsetto, and phrases end with a slide. Verses run in pairs, the first image setting up the second. Each tune is a ling, such as Hezhou Da Ling or Bai Mudan Ling, and rhythm is free.
Repertoire
Common pieces include Going Up the High Mountain, Hezhou Da Ling, Ga Ma'er Ling, Down to Sichuan and Lianhua Shan Ling.
What to listen for
Start with the opening of Going Up the High Mountain. Hear how the singer climbs from the low register to a high note and holds it in falsetto. Then follow the fall and vibrato at phrase ends, where local speech leaves its mark. Compare Gua Di Feng and Si Ji Ge to hear a level tune beside a mountain song.
Common misunderstandings
Hua'er is often taken as a song about flowers, or only about love. Its subjects include work, politics and daily life, and its singers are not confined to one ethnic group. Nor is it a xiaodiao; it is a mountain song with free rhythm and a high tessitura.
Listen in the library
All tracks from midicn-lib — inline badge is the license tier (C1 commercial / C2 non-commercial / C3 study only).
Sources
- 《中国音乐词典》编辑部编，中国音乐词典（人民音乐出版社）— 条目与年代核对，未引用
- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed., entry "China" — framework and dates checked, not quoted
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.