Majie Folk Fair in Pingdingshan

In modern urban China, people often go to cinemas or theaters for entertainment. But in the countryside, people have different ways of amusing themselves. Come to the Majie Folk Artists Fair and enjoy a traditional rural delight.

Majie Folk Artists Gathering: a bustling fair

Every 13th day of the first month by the Chinese lunar calendar, folk artists from across the country gather in Majie village in C. Henan province to demonstrate what they do best. With the sky as their roof and the field as their stage, the artists start performing in pairs or solo from the early morning. Throughout the day, the village is filled with the sound of people singing, laughing and applauding.

On the hilltops, in the fields and along the riverbank, folk artists sing ballads and tell stories to the accompaniment of bamboo clappers or stringed instruments. There are various schools of storytelling and ballad singing, but most performers come from Henan Zhuizi - a school of storytelling in Henan province. The subjects mainly focus on ancient legends, heroes, virtuous ladies and patriots who died for their country. As society develops, more of the stories reflect modern life.

The fair has prospered almost uninterrupted for seven hundred years. Stone inscriptions in a Majie village Buddhist temple show the gathering started in the early 14th century and flourished in the ensuing dynasties. In 1863, over 2,000 folk artists attended the fair. There are several versions on the origins of this grand get-together. Most claim the fair developed to commemorate some important figure. However, it seems more likely that Majie, a gateway between the mountains and the plains, was a major passage for caravans and traveling folk artists in ancient China. To mark holidays and celebrations, folk artists passing by Majie put on performances there. Later it became usual for artists from across the county to meet there to trade and perform during the Chinese New Year celebration.

How has this ordinary village remained a Mecca for folk artists?

The villagers of Majie are known for their hospitality. Most are eager to keep hosting the event and they vie to accommodate the artists free of charge or for a low fee. For locals, the fair is more than just an occasion to enjoy ancient and modern stories. They also invite the best artists to perform in their villages or homes for three or four days following the formal festival day. Most of the villagers invite folk artists to celebrate the previous year's harvest or entertain their guests at weddings or birthday parities. For villagers, this expense is a source of pride and earns respect from neighbors.

If a villager wants to formally invite an artist after watching his/her performance, the two bargain to arrange a fee, ranging from a few hundred to thousands of yuan, depending on the skill and reputation of the artist. For artists who spend most of their time wandering across the country to earn a living, going to Majie is a welcome chance to earn good money, and most of them are glad to keep going back. Du Genyan, a folk artist in his 40s, was the highest paid performer from 1996 to 1998. He once said that the Majie Folk Artists Fair was a platform for folk artists to exchange and improve their skills, and provided a chance for them to earn a living as well.

Majie also attracts established folk artists. In February 1995, local people were overjoyed to see then 82-year-old Luo Yusheng, one of the most renowned singers of the Jingyun Dagu, a school of storytelling performed in the old Beijing dialect and accompanied by the drum. Her bright, resonant and touching voice was greeted with thunderous applause.

The Majie Folk Artists Gathering was listed as one of China's intangible cultural heritages in 2005 by the Chinese government. With state support and the enthusiasm of villagers and folk artists, the 700-year-old fair is sure to continue to prosper.

By Dong Jirong