Hengchun Folk Song Museum Introduction
Hengchun folk songs are a form of music that began to circulate among the common people, representing a rich culture that reflects life experiences, historical backgrounds, and local characteristics through sound. To preserve this intangible cultural heritage from fading away, the Pingtung County Government established the Hengchun Folk Song Museum next to Hengchun Hospital in 2009, showcasing sheet music and instruments for seven tunes: "Thoughts Arise," "Four Seasons Spring," "Cowherd's Tune," "Pingpu Tune," "Five-Note Lullaby," "Fenggang Lullaby," and "Mother Cow's Accompaniment," hoping to lay the foundation for the development of Hengchun folk songs. The origin of Hengchun folk songs is somewhat accidental. A group of outsiders came to Hengchun to cultivate the land and began to hum songs out of nostalgia for their hometown and loved ones. These songs might be fragments of melodies heard back home or tunes made up on the spot. Due to their pleasant melodies that are easy to remember and recite, they gradually spread across places including Hengchun, Manzhou, Fenggang, and Checheng. Because of their strong local characteristics, they became known as "Hengchun folk songs." From a music research perspective, folk songs are usually classified according to their melodic characteristics, origins, and distribution areas. The seven tunes displayed at the Hengchun Folk Song Museum are traditional folk songs from the Hengchun region. Among them, the Cowherd's Tune is only popular in Manzhou; however, since both Manzhou during the Qing Dynasty and the Japanese colonial era belonged to Hengchun, it was included in Hengchun folk songs. After Taiwan's retrocession, when Hengchun and Manzhou were divided into two administrative regions, it was renamed Manzhou folk songs. Visiting the Hengchun Folk Song Museum is akin to taking a complete tour of the historical culture and ordinary life of early Hengchun. When it comes to Hengchun folk songs, the most representative tune is undoubtedly "Thoughts Arise," with the most renowned singer being Chen Da. Chen Da's deep and emotional voice captures the nostalgia of those who are away from home. Despite a life of poverty, his love for singing remained undiminished, which contributed to the rise of the folk song movement in the Hengchun area. After his passing, his residence was turned into a memorial hall, authentically presenting the simple environment in which he lived and introducing his life and contributions to Hengchun folk songs.
