Hengchun Folk Song Museum Introduction
Hengchun folk songs are a type of music that began to circulate among the common people. It is a rich cultural expression that depicts life experiences, historical backgrounds, and local characteristics through sound. To prevent this intangible cultural heritage from fading away, the Pingtung County Government converted the old dormitory next to Hengchun Hospital into the Hengchun Folk Song Museum in 2009. The museum showcases the musical scores and instruments for seven tunes: "Thinking of You," "Four Seasons Spring," "Cow Herding Tune," "Pingpu Tune," "Five Holes Tune," "Fenggang Tune," and "Mother Cow Accompany," hoping to lay the foundation for the development of Hengchun folk songs. The origin of Hengchun folk songs is a product of unintentional chance. Originally, they were sung by a group of outsiders who came to cultivate land in Hengchun, who, missing their relatives from home, could not help but hum some songs. These songs may have been fragments of melodies heard in their hometown or tunes they casually composed themselves. Due to their catchy melodies and ease of memorization, these tunes gradually spread, being heard in Hengchun, Manzhou, Fenggang, Checheng, and other areas. With their strong local characteristics, they came to be known as "Hengchun folk songs." From a music research perspective, these songs are typically classified according to their melodic characteristics, causes of emergence, and distribution areas. The seven tunes displayed in the Hengchun Folk Song Museum represent traditional folk songs of the Hengchun area. Among them, although the "Cow Herding Tune" is only popular in Manzhou, it was included in Hengchun folk songs because during the Qing dynasty and Japanese colonial period, Manzhou was part of Hengchun. After Taiwan's liberation, as Hengchun and Manzhou became separate administrative regions, it was renamed Manzhou folk song. Visiting the Hengchun Folk Song Museum is akin to making a thorough tour of the historical culture and daily life of early Hengchun. When it comes to Hengchun folk songs, the most representative tune is "Thinking of You," with the most famous singer being Chen Da. Chen Da's deep, emotional voice resonates with the nostalgia of those who are far from home. Though he lived in poverty, his love for singing never waned, and because of him, a folk song trend arose in the Hengchun area. After Chen Da's passing, his former residence was turned into a memorial museum, which faithfully presents his simple living environment and simultaneously introduces his life story and contributions to Hengchun folk songs.
