Tibetan folk songs preserved in written form  

甘南搜寻“藏族好声音”用文字“留住”民歌

甘肃甘南藏族自治州文化馆馆长马庆禄6日接受中新社记者采访称，由甘南州非物质文化遗产保护中心搜集整理的《甘南藏族民歌集》正在进行第5稿的修改编撰，将于4月底正式出版发行。

Lanzhou (CNS) – A collection of Tibetan folk songs from the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, compiled by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center in Gansu province, is undergoing a fifth revision and expected to be published by the end of April, said Ma Qinglu, curator of the local cultural center.

"The collection allows Tibetan folk songs to survive in written form, ending the history of such songs being passed down in oral form, and breaks new ground for inheritance and research on a continuous basis," Ma said.

In collecting and compiling the songs, we have been sticking closely to the original versions, he said, adding that all the lyrics and melodies are recorded based on the first paragraph of the original song, with no modifications or revisions. The aim of this book is to provide references for folk song lovers and researchers.

"We also plan to shoot videos of Tibetan folk culture in the future," said Ma.

He also said that since the prefecture started collecting and preserving folk songs in 2005, a total of 780 songs have been included in the book.

"Folk songs are the artistic oral creation of the Tibetan people, and a tool to express their emotions."

"As senior folk artists pass away one after another, we now face a serious problem of the extinction of many folk songs," said Ma, adding that "we are trying to preserve this precious cultural heritage and allow future generations to explore and feel the cultural strength of the songs."

Located in southwest Gansu province, the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is one of the ten Tibetan autonomous prefectures in China.