Vol. 6 No. 6
This article examines the suona (Chinese oboe), a shared cultural heritage of the Zhuang, Han, and Yao ethnic groups in the Dongbafeng region (Donglan, Bama, and Fengshan counties, Guangxi). Historically, suona music was central to weddings, housewarmings, and Spring Festival celebrations, symbolizing joy and prosperity across Zhuang villages and Yao settlements. Through fieldwork and interviews with local elders, the authors document distinctive marriage customs—such as Yao mountain weddings, Han betrothal rites, and unique "female-marries-male" or dual-inheritance practices—in which suona playing was an indispensable, prestige-marking element. However, this once-vibrant tradition has largely fallen silent, with suona performances and troupes now rarely seen or heard in the region. The paper calls for coordinated preservation efforts: government institutional support, university-based suona training courses to cultivate local talent, protection of traditional festivals and folk customs, and integration of suona performance into local tourism festivals to ensure its transmission to future generations.
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