Songs of the fields

The terraced paddy fields, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are a major venue for the celebrations.[Photo by Jiang Dong/China Daily]

Recently, Zhu was invited as a guest to Kai Yang Men, an annual event to celebrate the coming of spring and the planting of rice in that area.

The ancient songs, which don't have a written form, are about the history of the Hani people and are related to gods, ancestors, weddings, funerals and daily life.

The songs are performed with such folk instruments as bamboo flutes, stringed instruments and hand drums.

The Seasonal Production Ballad is probably the most famous song. Zhu sang it at the April 30 event.

The Hani people sing such songs while they work in the rice fields, which form spectacular terraces that cascade down the hilly terrain of Yuanyang county.

These rice terraces, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO, are believed to be more than 1,300 years old.

"To survive in a rough climate, our ancestors accumulated a large amount of experience in agricultural production in the different seasons. This knowledge is brought out by the songs, which are not for recreation alone but also to understand important aspects of our way of life," says Zhu, who speaks the Hani language.