Proto folk songs are one of China's most precious traditions. Proto folk music from Zhejiang Province, located South of the Yangtze River, includes folk songs sung in the fields, mountains as well as fisherman's songs - usually subtle and gentle in nature. The provincial government is taking measures to protect this proto-folk music. Local people are enthusiastic about it, as there are singing competitions and training classes to attract the most talented singers. Our reporter Shen Ting brings us more.

This is a proto folk song from the Zhejiang province. Local people are fond of singing these songs for recreation as they are working in the fields or resting.

In order to preserve and promote the culture of proto folk music, the local government organizes a special competition. In the competition, local people can display their singing talent. Contestants win prizes and are granted the right to launch training classes to teach other people singing.

The competition provides opportunities for little known proto folk songs to be publicized and for more people to learn about the precious culture.

This singer is 56-year-old Lan. He is famous in the village and was chosen to take part in the singing competition on behalf of his hometown.

"I learned proto folk songs from my father when I was a teenager. People can sing these songs anytime they want."

He feels sad that few young people can sing proto folk songs and young people are not willing to learn the art. However, his partner Lan Xianlan, aged 46, feels more optimistic.

"The four generations of my family, my grandma, my mother, my daughter and I can sing proto folk songs. My elder daughter is 29 years old and she likes the songs very much. We sing it when we climb mountains or work in fields. We can also sing it no matter whether we are happy or depressed. My younger daughter sings very well. We cannot abandon the songs that our elder generations taught us."

The provincial proto folk song competition is held in Hangzhou. Though it takes them four and a half hours to get to the capital city, the old Lan and Lan Xianlan say that they feel glad to hear folk songs of other areas and make friends with others at the competition.

This is the Tea Leave Picking Dance sung by Ye Caihua, renowned folk singer of Zhejiang province. The song has been selected in the folk songs classics of the United Nations, one of the four Chinese folk songs that won the position.

Ye Caihua is a judge in the competition. She says that the competition is quite exciting.

"As a folk singer, I am excited to hear so many proto folk songs, especially work chants and field songs. Proto folk songs of Zhejiang are unique. I came back from Jingning, a county in Zhejiang, in which I collected folk songs. I am so glad to find that children and old people there all sing folk songs."

On the competition's stage, farmers from different areas of the province are singing lustily. The simple and plain singers, wearing the ordinary clothes they wear daily for working in the fields, perform proto folk songs in the capital city. Proto folk songs, as a part of singers' farming life, are interpreted genuinely and passionately by the farmer singers. Their performance attracts many citizens.

Organizers say that the competition receives a warm welcome in all villages of Zhejiang. People's fondness of it exceeds the organizers' expectations. Yang Xiayun is an organizer of the event. 

"Many villagers phone us. A villager tells us that those who win prizes in the competition can launch training classes to teaching others singing. He says that his village also wants to offer courses of local field songs in elementary schools. We feel that we are doing something meaningful because we not only select talented singers but promote the culture in villages."

The competition doesn't involve much fierce rivalry among participants, as it is more a gathering of proto folk song singers. Yang Xiayun says that the event is supposed to help the government select the best folk song singers who can compete in the national singer competition on behalf of Zhejiang province. However, the event turns out to be a carnival for all farmer singers.
Lu Qiang, a media veteran, says that the revival of proto folk culture has a close relationship with economic development. 

"The economy has been developing fast and the society is in a transitional phase. Various cultural elements are flourishing. People can get lost in so many different cultural elements, and they are trying to seek cultural roots for themselves. Proto folk songs are one form of these cultural roots. They can serve as a spiritual comfort for modern people."

On top of that, Lu Qiang says that protection of Chinese proto folk music is an important part of safeguarding Chinese culture.
"In the trend of globalization, we should keep something different and national to maintain our distinct identity. I went to Europe to perform with the Zhejiang Folk Music Orchestra. Our performances were well-received by local people, who emphasize the importance and necessity to preserve national cultures, such as Proto folk music."

Yang Xiayun holds the same view that modern people are forgetting about Proto-culture as the economy develops so rapidly. It is time for us to protect the origin of our culture.

Back anchor: Thank you, Shen Ting. And from Zhejiang we won't go far away. We're headin to neighboring Auhui Province. On the Road will bring you Huangshan, the Yellow Mountain, one of the most famous mountains in China. Don't go away.