Harqin Left Wing Mongolian folklore

Year: 2006

Sort: Folk Literature

Area: Liaoning province

Serial No.: I-19

Declarer: Harqin Left Wing Mongolian autonomous county, Liaoning province

The ethnic group of Genghis Khan, the Mongolians, are not only superb at war, but are also extraordinarily creative in story-telling. Harqin Left Wing Mongolian folklores applied for Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity status in 2006. The Harqin Left Wing is a Mongolian ethnic branch and live on the Mongolian Plateau along with the Han and Manchu. Harqin Left Wing culture is a mixture of all three ethnic groups.

The Mongolian and the Manchu are nomads who frequently move from place to place according to the changing seasons, while the Han live in one place. Harqin Left Wing Mongolian folklore naturally praises the nomad lifestyle and freedom, but also notes the tranquility of farm life. Harqin Left Wing Mongolian folklore is valuable in tracing the history of the three ethnic groups. One of the most famous stories is "The Princess of the Moon" and is thought to have originated even earlier than the most popular Chinese legend about the moon, "Chang'e Flies to the Moon". The story is about a princess who used her body to light up the road in the dark wood by swallowing a white pearl.

The culture department of the local government once had these stories captured on tape, but over the past 20 years, the tapes have gradually been destroyed by time, and the local government does not have enough money to save them. The folklore is in danger of dying out.