From the Heart of the Lake Booms a Mountain Song: Sense of Place in the Song-cycles of Coastal China

Abstract

Narrative song traditions articulate an indelible sense of place and identity that encapsulate how communities construct and interpret the landscapes and waterscapes in which they live. This study investigates sense of place in song-cycles sung along the waterways of China's Lake Tai region, the heartland of rice paddy cultivation in the pre-contemporary era. Also discussed is the place of these song-cycles as celebrated examples of China's Intangible Cultural Heritage.