Singing Nanyin as We Go @ Tai O

Singing Nanyin as We Go @ Tai O

A song art sung in the Cantonese vernacular, nanyin was a kind of popular entertainment for the people of Hong Kong. Nanyin was mostly sung by blind artistes, accompanied by zheng and yehu, and to the rhythm given by clappers. The lyrics often reflected the living hardships of the lowest stratum of society. Today, it has become part of our intangible cultural heritage and was inscribed onto the first Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Hong Kong. it was once a popular form of entertainment in Hong Kong during the early 20th century.

The Intangible Cultural Heritage Office invited the troupe group "The Gong Strikes One" to tour Hong Kong's 18 districts and use nanyin to recount the history of local communities and to bring in-depth cultural insights.

Below is the performance of the tour in Lautau Island, Tai O.

To watch more about "Singing Nanyin", please visit the website of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Office.