Cen Longye, an old writer who has been engaged in the excavation, research and protection of ethnic folk culture for more than 30 years, has a profound understanding of national culture. He said: "Finding my own ethnic identity and sense of belonging is the most original driving force in my dream as a writer." In fact, from a large country to a small place or individual, all are looking for a sense of ethnic belonging in culture and consciousness, and turn the connotation of culture into a kind of soft power for development.
Baise is a multi-ethnic residential area where various ethnic groups have formed a situation of mutual dependence and common development in the long-term production and life. From the cultural phenomenon of the once prosperous "Juding Ancient Country" of the Luo Yue ethnic group to the intangible cultural heritage of Ganzhuang Mountain Song Fair, the primitive dwelling place of Buluotuo, the ancestor of Zhuang human culture, from the overall preservation of Tianlin Beilu Zhuang Opera and Napo's ancient and pure black-clad Zhuang ethnic customs to the festive and lively Longlin Miao jump slope festival, Tianlin Yao Panwang Festival, Napo Yi jump bow festival and so on, various ethnic cultures are independent and integrated, creating a solid foundation, rich in connotation, distinctive ethnic folk cultural heritage.
Colorful nationalities and rich cultures
Since 2005, according to relevant policies and regulations of the State Council and the Autonomous Region, our city has formulated and issued a series of documents to promote the inheritance and protection of ethnic folk culture, becoming the first city in the whole region to formulate a municipal-level implementation plan for the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
While actively protecting and repairing key cultural relics protection units at the national and autonomous region levels - the old site of the headquarters and political department of the Seventh Army of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the old site of the Suqian government of Tiandong Soviet, the "Xilin Case" site, and the Xilin Gongbao Mansion, our city has also promoted the construction and implementation of the Longlin Ethnic Museum project, expanding the functions of the Jingxi Zhuang Ecological Museum and Napo Black-clad Zhuang Museum. In 2008, we continued to create the "Baise Handaxe" cultural brand - the protection project of the Paleolithic site cluster in the Baise Basin. In 2009, we aimed to hold the "Baise Handaxe" international academic seminar.
To further clarify the tasks of the development of ethnic folk culture. In 2008, our city issued the "Implementation Plan for Promoting the Great Development and Prosperity of Baise Culture and Accelerating the Construction of a Cultural Famous City" (2008-2010). This plan put forward specific provisions and requirements for the inheritance, protection, and promotion of our city's ethnic folk culture. As a result, a series of measures with rich content and diverse forms were introduced: creating a large-scale Zhuang original ecological opera - "Zhuang Brocade", a revolutionary historical scenario drama - "Baise Memory ยท 1929", a fine evening of ethnic songs and dances - "Mountain Sentiment Water Charm", a set of local literary art collections - "Thousand Postures Baise" collection (including works of different artistic categories), a series of brands of folk songs of all ethnic groups, a song that can become the symbol of Baise, a local drama brand - Zhuang Opera, a local music brand - Mo Lun and other eight major artistic masterpieces; hosting the Tianyang Buluotuo Ethnic Cultural Tourism Festival, Tianlin Beilu Zhuang Opera Art Festival, Tianlin Yao Panwang Festival, Pingguo "Zhuang Countryside Heavenly Sound" Song Fair Music Festival, Longlin Miao Jump Slope Festival, Longlin Yi Torch Festival, Tiandong Mango Festival, Xilin Juding Arts Festival, Napo Yi Jump Bow Festival, Jingxi Dragon Boat Festival Medicine Market, Leye Rhododendron Photography Art Festival, Lingyun Tea Arts Festival and other celebratory activities.
Efforts in excavation and careful inheritance
In terms of the excavation, rescue, and inheritance of ethnic folk culture, our city has continuously increased its efforts in recent years and integrated the promotion of the development of ethnic folk culture into the work of protecting and inheriting intangible cultural heritage. While focusing on overall work, we pay more attention to the protection and inheritance of projects already listed in the national and autonomous regional level catalogues. For "Pingguo Liao Songs" which have received national-level protection, our city has collected nine volumes of Zhuang folk songs "Pingguo Liao Songs", totaling more than 100,000 lines and 23,603 songs, and six volumes of the Zhuang folk song culture collection "Pingguo Liao Songs" have now been published. The villages of Juchuang in Taiping Town, Pingguo County, and Longliao in Longzhu Village have been designated as key Liao song villages, and stages have been set up to promote the development of Liao songs among the people. At the same time, the Pingguo Zhuang Liao Song Association was established in Pingguo County, the Liao Song archives were built, Liao Song masters were confirmed, and the county Liao Song Art Troupe was founded. For the national-level catalogue "Tianyang Buluotuo Scripture Poetry", our city has excavated and organized the "Buluotuo Scripture Poetry Collection", "Buluotuo Folk Story Collection", "Buluotuo Ancient Songs" and other collections; in the protection and inheritance of "Tianyang Lion Dance Skills" listed in the autonomous regional catalogue, our city has strongly supported private lion dance teams and held more than 100 lion dance training sessions in Tianyang County, with over 3,000 participants; for the national-level protected catalogue "Jingxi Zhuang Brocade Weaving Skills", our city has opened brocade factories and created embroidery ball and Zhuang brocade production bases. Additionally, a Zhuang embroidery skills class was opened in Jiuzhou Street Primary School, where Huang Xiaoqin, known as the "ingenious woman of China", and Zhu Zuxian, recognized by the autonomous region as an inheritor of Jingxi Zhuang brocade weaving skills, went to school to pass on their skills and guide students, laying a foundation for cultivating inheritors of ethnic folk skills; for the national-level protected catalogue "Tianlin Beilu Zhuang Opera", our city held the "Guangxi Beilu Zhuang Opera Art Festival" consecutively in 2007 and 2008...
The rich and colorful ethnic folk culture adds brilliant colors to the red land of Baise and becomes a business card showcasing the style of Baise.