Changshan premieres promotional film for cheering ballad

A scene from the film for the Changshan cheering ballad shows an inheritor preparing for the performance. [Photo/qz123.com]

The promotional film for the Changshan cheering ballad made its debut in Changshan county of Quzhou, Zhejiang province on April 17.

Changshan has maintained the custom of cheering in wedding ceremonies, beam installation for a new house and other significant occasions to pray for a good luck since ancient times.

In late 2014, the cheering ballad was included as a State-level intangible cultural heritage. Four years later, in order to better promote and inherit the cheering ballad, the county started making a film for it.

A torch illuminating the night, a deserted temple, an old wooden case, and books with mottled handwriting: through thousands of years of history and culture, a local cheerer unlocks the treasure case of the Changshan cheering ballad.

The film comprehensively introduces the ballad from its origin, folk beliefs, expressive form, inheritance and development, and showcases the most representative occasions requiring its performance, including weddings, birthdays, and good harvest celebrations.

"I was struck by the film and it is quite meaningful to make a film for the Changshan cheering ballad," said Li Yufang, an audience member at the premiere.

According to Changshan county, the cheering ballad film is expected to be played on outdoor screens and cinemas in the county after the premiere with the aim of improving the familiarity of local residents and tourists with the intangible cultural heritage and contributing to its protection and inheritance.