Time: June 6 every lunar year
Place: Datong County in Qinghai Province
The “Huaer” Festival will be held in Datong, Qinghai Province from July 24 to July 29 in 2009. “Huaer” is a kind of folk song in Datong and it is the cradle of “Huaer” festival. During the lunar June 6, the festival will be celebrated in Laoyeshan Mountain of Datong County every year.
On May 2005, Datong was award “The Hometown of Chinese Folk Art” by the State Ministry of Culture. In 2006, Laoyeshan Folk Song Festival was listed in the first national non-material cultural heritage of China.
This year, during the festival, besides the singing clubs set in Datong People’ Park and Cultural Square, the important folk song contest and indigenous folk song show will be held in Laoye Mountain. In addition, colorful cultural activities, such as farmers paint, embroidery, and photography show, will be brought to the public.
On these days, people are all in splendid dress and they clime the mountain for tour. When they stop for a rest, they will begin to sing the folk love song. Then, more and more people will join them. Meanwhile, increasing number of people will stop to appreciate their beautiful songs.
Folk song is a way to express the love. The folk song festival is a precious chance for people to seek their own love. Besides, many excellent singers are found in this festival and therefore, make this kind of art style maintained and developed.
Folk song is a kind of art, displaying the life experience of northwestern people and their customs. It contains abundant cultural connotation and has an important value. It needs to be further explored and developed to make it more valued.