Hengchun Folk Song Museum Introduction
Hengchun folk songs are a type of music that began to spread among the common people, sculpting the rich culture of life experiences, historical backgrounds, and local flavors 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 displays sheet music and instruments for seven different tunes: "Thoughts Rising," "Four Seasons Spring," "Cattle Keeper's Tune," "Pingpu Tune," "Five Hole Melody," "Fenggang Melody," and "Niu Mu Ban," hoping to leave a foundation for the development of Hengchun folk songs. Hengchun folk songs originated from an unintentional coincidence. Initially, a group of outsiders came to cultivate the land in Hengchun and, feeling homesick for their relatives, began to hum a few songs. These songs may have been fragments of melodies heard in their hometowns or tunes they composed themselves. Because the melodies were pleasant and easy to memorize, they gradually spread, and these songs could be heard in places like Hengchun, Manzhou, Fenggang, and Checheng. Due to their strong local characteristics, they came to be known as "Hengchun folk songs." From a music research perspective, folk songs are typically classified based on melody characteristics, 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 Keeper's Tune" only became popular in Manzhou, both Manzhou during the Qing Dynasty and Japanese colonial period were part of Hengchun. Therefore, this tune was included in Hengchun folk songs. After the restoration of Taiwan, Hengchun and Manzhou were divided into two administrative districts, and the tune was renamed Manzhou folk song. A visit to the Hengchun Folk Song Museum offers a complete tour of the historical culture and everyday life of early Hengchun. When it comes to Hengchun folk songs, the most representative tune is undoubtedly "Thoughts Rising," with the most famous singer being Chen Da. Chen Da's deep and emotional voice expresses the nostalgia of a traveler far from home. Despite living a life of poverty, his passion for singing never waned, which sparked a folk song wave in the Hengchun region. After Chen Da's passing, his former residence was converted into a memorial hall, authentically depicting his humble environment while introducing his life and contributions to Hengchun folk songs.
