Hengchun Folk Song Museum Introduction
Hengchun Ballads are a form of music that began to circulate among the common people. It is a rich culture that portrays life experiences, historical backgrounds, and local colors through sound. To prevent this intangible cultural heritage from fading away, the Pingtung County Government established the Hengchun Ballad Museum next to the old dormitory of Hengchun Hospital in 2009. The museum exhibits the sheet music and instruments for seven tunes: "Thoughts Stirring," "Spring of Four Seasons," "Cowherd Tune," "Pingpu Tune," "Wukong Tune," "Fenggang Tune," and "Mother Cow's Accompaniment," hoping to lay the foundation for the development of Hengchun Ballads. Hengchun Ballads originated from an unintentional occurrence. Originally, a group of outsiders came to the Hengchun area for cultivation. Missing their loved ones back home, they couldn’t help but hum some songs. These songs might have been snippets of tunes they heard in their hometowns or composed freely by themselves. Because the melodies were pleasant and easy to remember, they gradually spread, including in areas like Hengchun, Manzhou, Fenggang, and Checheng. Due to their strong local characteristics, they became known as "Hengchun Ballads." From the perspective of music research, ballads are usually classified according to their melodic characteristics, origins, and distribution areas. The seven tunes displayed at the Hengchun Ballad Museum are traditional folk songs from the Hengchun region. The Cowherd Tune, although popular only in Manzhou, was included in the Hengchun Ballads because both Manzhou during the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese occupation belonged to Hengchun. After the retrocession, Hengchun and Manzhou were divided into two administrative districts, and it became known as Manzhou Ballads. Visiting the Hengchun Ballad Museum is like taking a complete tour of the historical culture and everyday life of early Hengchun. When mentioning Hengchun Ballads, the most representative tune is undoubtedly "Thoughts Stirring," with the most famous singer being Chen Da. Chen Da's deep and emotionally rich voice profoundly expresses the homesickness of those away from home. Although he lived a life of poverty, his love for singing never faded. Because of him, a folk song trend arose in the Hengchun area. After Chen Da’s passing, his former residence was established as a memorial hall to realistically present the simplicity of his living environment while introducing his life and contributions to Hengchun Ballads.
