中国的世界级非遗 | 蒙古族呼麦歌唱艺术（英文）

Editor'snote:Khoomei,atraditionalstyleofthroatsingingcreatedbytheMongolianethnicgrouptoshowrespectfornature,wasaddedtoUNESCO'sRepresentativeListoftheIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanityin2009.

Khoomei,whichmeansthroatorlarynxinMongolian,isanancientstyleofsingingcreatedbytheMongolianethnicgroup.Theyperformthisuniqueformofthroatsingingasawaytopayhomagetonature,theirancestors,andheroes,whilealsoexpressingtheirdeepconnectiontothenomadicwayoflife.

AsingleKhoomeisingercanproducetwoorthreevoicessimultaneouslyinaharmoniousmanner.Listenerscanhearasustainedfundamentalbassproducedinthesinger'sthroat,usuallyinthelow-midtomid-rangeoftheperformer'snormalvoice,alongwithoneortwohighertonesabovethebass.Asaresult,twoorthreeharmonicscanbeheardatthesametime,spanningonetoevensixoctaves.

Thisuniqueperformingartrequiresspecialsingingtechniques.Khoomeisingersneedtorelaxtheirabdomenandcontrolpitchesthroughacombinationofmovementsinvolvingthelips,throat,tongue,andjaw.Aprofessionalsingercandeliversoundsthatresemblethewindswirlingamongrocks,riversrunningthroughvalleys,orbirdschirpingintheforest.AncientMongoliantribesbelievedthatsingingKhoomeicouldconnectthemwithnatureandtheuniverse.

WhileUNESCOdocumentsindicatethatKhoomeiemergedaroundthe13thcentury,someonlinesourcestraceitsoriginsbacktothe3rdcenturyB.C.,whentheXiongnupeople–anallianceofnomadictribesalsoknownastheHuns–aroseandlatersettledontheMongolianPlateau.

Today,KhoomeiremainswidelypracticedamongtheMongolianethnicgroup,withsingersperformingbothsolosandgrouparrangements.DuringimportantfestivalssuchasNaadam,amajorcelebrationfortheMongolianethnicgroup,andTsagaanSar,alsoknownastheMongolianLunarNewYear,renownedorprofessionalKhoomeisingersperformthestyleamidavarietyofculturalandsportsactivities.Theseincludecandlelightingceremonies,sacrificialrituals,horseraces,archerycompetitions,wrestlingtournaments,andlargebanquets.Thetimingandorderofthesongsareoftenstrictlyarranged.

WiththeMongolianethnicgroupdispersedacrossborders,thetraditionofKhoomeihasbeenpreservedinvariouscountriesandregions.Today,itisprimarilypracticedinChina'sInnerMongoliaAutonomousRegionandtheAltaimountainousareasoftheXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,aswellascertainpartsofwesternMongoliaandRussia'sTuvaRepublic.

DeeplyintertwinedwiththehistoryandcultureoftheMongolianethnicgroup,Khoomeiholdssignificantimportanceforstudiesinanthropology,ethnichistory,andfolkcustoms.Recognizingitsvalue,ChinaincludedKhoomeiinitsfirstbatchofnationalintangibleculturalheritagein2006,andin2009,UNESCOaddedittotheRepresentativeListoftheIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanity.

UNESCOstated:"KhoomeihaslongbeenregardedasacentralelementrepresentingMongoliancultureandremainsastrongsymbolofnationalorethnicidentity.AsawindowintothephilosophyandaestheticvaluesoftheMongolpeople,ithasservedasakindofculturalemissarypromotingunderstandingandfriendshipamongChina,Mongolia,andRussia,andhasattractedattentionaroundtheworldasauniqueformofmusicalexpression."

Inrecentyears,Khoomeihasgainedbroaderpopularityintheglobalmusicarenabyintegratingmodernandinternationalelements.Ithasevenbecomepopularatmusicfestivalsandonsocialmediaplatforms,arousinggreatinterestfromexpertsandscholarsinfieldssuchassociology,anthropology,history,culturalstudies,music,andart.

In2020,ashortdocumentaryfilmtitled"AmazingMusicfromNature"wasunveiledattheAsianPop-UpCinema,asemi-annualAsianfilmfestivalinChicago,UnitedStates.ThefilmshowcasedKhoomeiperformedbyyoungmulti-ethnicmusicians,combiningthetraditionalartformwithmodernelements,receivingwidespreadattention.In2022,popsinger-songwriterShangWenjiecollaboratedwithaKhoomeiartistforaperformanceattheSpringFestivalWebGala,oneofthemostsignificantcelebrationsforChinesepeopletomarktheLunarNewYear.Thisyear,moremusicians,includingtheyoungcomposerXueTingzhe,arepreparingtovisitthegrasslandsofInnerMongoliatorecordadditionalMongolianfolkmusic,includingKhoomei.

DiscovermoretreasuresfromChinaonUNESCO'sICHlist:

•2022: Traditionalteaprocessing

•2020: Wangchuanceremony, taijiquan

•2018: LummedicinalbathingofSowaRigpa

•2016: Twenty-foursolarterms

•2013: Abacus-basedZhusuan

•2012: TrainingplanforFujianpuppetryperformers

•2011: Shadowpuppetry, Yimakanstorytelling

•2010: Pekingopera, acupunctureandmoxibustion, woodenmovable-typeprinting, watertight-bulkheadtechnologyofChinesejunks, Meshrep

•2009: Yuejuopera, Xi'anwindandpercussionensemble, traditionalhandicraftsofmakingXuanpaper, traditionalfiringtechniquesofLongquanceladon, Tibetanopera, sericultureandsilkcraftsmanship, Regongarts, Nanyin,Khoomei