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Published August 20, 2021 | Version v1
Journal article Open

"SOUL EMANCIPATION!" WECHAT IN RURAL MONGGHUL (TU) AREAS OF HUZHU COUNTY, QINGHAI PROVINCE, PR CHINA

Creators

  • 1. Joints Surgery Department, Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital

Description

Duguasirang (b. 1976), an illiterate Mongghul man and well-known Mongghul singer from rural Xangri (Shenlu) Mongghul (Tu) Village, Hongyazigou Township, Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Haidong City, Qinghai Province, PR China and his involvement with WeChat is described. While herding as a child, Duguasirang learned traditional Mongghul folksongs from his uncle. Once an adult, he did construction work in Xining and other places in Qinghai Province. In 2017 at the age of forty, he returned to his village and resumed farming. He has three WeChat groups for which he often sings love songs (in the local Chinese dialect), Mongghul folksongs, and Mongghul drinking songs with his group members. He also broadcasts Mongghul folksongs live and other Mongghul cultural materials with his Mongghul wife. His daily interaction with WeChat demonstrates how this phone app profoundly impacted Mongghul people in 2020. I interviewed and recorded Duguasirang at his home in Xangri Village on 5 October 2019. Two maps and five photographs are given.

Notes

Smartphones improve rural life and are transforming how traditional Mongghul love songs and folksongs are performed. Mongghul sang love songs on special occasions, such as when people gathered at the Danma Love Song Festival held informally in conjunction with the time of the Youning Lamasery Mask Dance Festival. On such occasions, people met and sang, expressing their love. Sometimes, they sang love songs while weeding fields and herding sheep in summer. Now with WeChat, people sing love songs whenever they have free time. Furthermore, love songs were once prohibited in a home, but this old norm is now ignored. WeChat provides a platform where Mongghul frequently interact, though they increasingly leave their countryside homes and move to cities to work and live. Why does Duguasirang use WeChat? Why does he sing love songs and Mongghul folksongs? Here is his answer: I love WeChat! I'm passionate about singing Mongghul praise songs and love songs. Like everyone else, I'm occasionally depressed. Singing makes me forget annoying things. Live broadcast emancipates my soul!

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