Hengchun Folk Song Museum Introduction
Hengchun folk songs are music that began to spread among the common people, depicting life experiences, historical backgrounds, and local colors through sound as a rich cultural heritage. To prevent this intangible cultural asset from fading away, the Pingtung County Government established the Hengchun Folk Song Museum beside the old dormitory of Hengchun Hospital in 2009. The museum exhibits the musical scores and instruments of seven tunes: "Thoughts Arise," "Four Seasons Spring," "Cattle Herding Tune," "Pingpu Tune," "Wukong Tune," "Fenggang Tune," and "Mother Cow's Accompaniment," hoping to lay the foundation for the development of Hengchun folk songs. The origins of Hengchun folk songs come from unintentional circumstances. Originally, a group of outsiders came to Hengchun to cultivate land and, missing their hometown relatives, could not help but hum some songs. These songs might have been fragments heard back home or simple compositions of their own, and due to their catchy melodies and easy memorization, they gradually spread. These songs could be heard in Hengchun, Manzhou, Fenggang, Checheng, and other areas. Because of their distinct local characteristics, they were later referred to as "Hengchun folk songs." From a music research perspective, folk songs are usually classified based on musical traits, origins, and distribution areas. The seven tunes displayed at the Hengchun Folk Song Museum are traditional folk songs from the Hengchun area. Although the "Cattle Herding Tune" is primarily popular in Manzhou, during the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese occupation period, Manzhou was part of Hengchun, so it is included in Hengchun folk songs. After the restoration of Taiwan, with Hengchun and Manzhou becoming two separate administrative regions, it was renamed Manzhou folk songs. Visiting the Hengchun Folk Song Museum is equivalent to a complete tour of the historical culture and common people's lives of early Hengchun. When mentioning Hengchun folk songs, the most representative tune is undoubtedly "Thoughts Arise," with the most well-known singer being Chen Da. Chen Da's deep and emotional voice captures the homesickness of those who have traveled away, and despite living in poverty, his passion for singing never diminished. Because of him, a folk song craze emerged in the Hengchun area. After Chen Da's passing, his former residence was transformed into a memorial hall, authentically reflecting his simple living environment while also introducing his life story and contributions to Hengchun folk songs.
