Analysis of Shehuo Music in Xun County, Henan Province, China

Shuai  Zhang; Tepika Rodsakan

doi:10.60027/iarj.2026.e290277

Authors

Shuai Zhang Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2910-1240
Tepika Rodsakan Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University, Thailand https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0001-0279

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.60027/iarj.2026.e290277

Keywords:

Xun County Shehuo Music, Historical Evolution, Musical Characteristics, Cultural Significance, Intangible Heritage Preservation

Abstract

Background and Aims: Xun County’s Lantern Festival Shehuo performances trace back to ancient agrarian sacrificial rites. Although recognized on China’s National Intangible Cultural Heritage list, their historical evolution, cultural significance, and musical characteristics remain underexplored. This study aims to (1) study the historical evolution and cultural significance of Chinese Lantern Festival Shehuo performances and (2) investigate the musical characteristics of the songs used in Shehuo performances.

Methodology: From March 2023 to March 2024, a multi‑sited ethnographic case study was conducted using (a) archival research in local libraries and gazetteers, (b) semi‑structured interviews with village historians, coordinators, elder performers (n = 10), and musicians (n = 8), and (c) non‑participant observations and audio‑visual recordings of twelve complete Lantern Festival performances. Musical excerpts were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis to identify thematic and structural patterns.

Results: Findings trace Shehuo’s shift from earth‑and‑fire sacrificial rites to a syncretic folk spectacle incorporating opera melodies, yangge dance, and Buddhist ritual gestures that reinforce communal identity. Musically, songs rest on a pentatonic core enriched with minor‑mode inflections, follow a four-phrase formal schema, and feature ornamentations such as sliding tones and delayed cadences. Rhythmic analysis reveals choreographically driven alternations between duple (2/4) and compound (6/8) meters aligned with Xun dialect prosody. The ensemble centers on suona solos layered over multi-tiered percussion, creating timbral textures distinct from neighboring traditions. However, youth disengagement, practitioner aging, and unstructured digital archiving threaten vertical transmission and risk “museumification.”

Conclusion: This study highlights Shehuo’s layered historical dynamics and unique sonic identity, emphasizing the need for structured, community-based education and systematic archiving of core musical elements. The results inform evidence-based strategies to sustain Shehuo as a living tradition rather than a static relic.

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