Maguai song reverberates at Hechi college

Hechi, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, has made great efforts to protect its Maguai culture, one of the most important Zhuang traditions.

Maguai, which in Zhuang dialect means frogs, is considered the incarnations of gods by the Zhuang ethnic group.

In ancient times, Zhuang people would dress up as frogs, sing and dance to ask for peace, harmony and a good harvest, and this gradually developed into the Maguai Festival. The festival was included as one of China's national intangible cultural heritages in 2005.

Nowadays, Maguai song's charm is fading among young people, and at risk of not being passed down to future generations.

To protect and promote the folk songs, Guangxi Modern Polytechnic College has set up a base for inheritance and innovation of Zhuang ethnic culture.

Students learn Maguai song at Guangxi Modern Polytechnic College, Hechi, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo by Long Long/Hechi Daily]

The seventh-generation inheritor of Tian'e Maguai Culture, Suo Wende, was invited to teach students the primitive sacred song. Suo cooperates with other music teachers to compose music for Maguai songs, correct pronunciation and mark phonetic notations in Chinese.

"Bringing original Maguai songs from farmlands to college classes is of great help in preserving and passing down Maguai culture," said Huang Yushu, an official from the education base.

Huang explained: "We've also made innovations to the songs by employing modern artistic skills, facilitating students to learn, understand and spread Maguai culture's riches."

Local Zhuang people perform a Maguai dance in Tian'e, a county of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Dec 1, 2016. [Photo by Xiang Yanan/chinadaily.com.cn]