Memories of ancient boatmen kept alive through chanties

In the eyes of Zhao Yiqiang, a native of Beijing's Tongzhou district, where the northern end of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal is situated, the river is not just a scenic view but a link to his family and inheritance. "My family history is intertwined with that of the canal," he said.

The Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, played a vital role in the Caoyun system in ancient China and reached its heydays during the Yuan (1271-1368), Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, when Beijing served as the nation's capital.

Caoyun literally refers to shipping grain by water. Throughout the feudal dynasties, the centralized transportation system had served to collect grain, which could be supplied to the imperial court, used as officials' salaries and military expenses, and transported to other locations to stabilize the food supply.

Since the founders of the Yuan Dynasty designated Beijing, then called Dadu, as the national capital, goods from all across the country were transported via the Grand Canal to Tonghui River Wharf, located in today's Tongzhou district. Therefore, Tongzhou became a crucial northern hub on the Grand Canal.

At that time, large cargo ships traveled downstream southward from Beijing, but on the return journey, they had to row against the current. The boatmen had to row all the way back — a marathon effort — giving rise to chanties sung along the canal.

During the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties, more than 20,000 grain ships sailed toward Beijing each year, presenting a magnificent spectacle where powerful chants echoed from the grand fleets.

Close bond

"My family genealogy can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty. Four generations of my family are closely connected to the Grand Canal," Zhao said. "My great-grandfather worked on boats. At that time, the shipping guilds thrived on the canal, and a leader from the Xingwusi guild passed on the canal chants to my grandfather, who had a special talent for singing.

"My father started working on boats at the age of 8. By then, the Caoyun system had stopped working, and our family's vessel had been converted into a fishing boat."

"My father had a low education level and spent his life singing canal chants," Zhao recalled. "Influenced from a young age, I developed a special fondness for singing canal chants."

The boatmen's chants once prevailing on the Tongzhou section of the Grand Canal were listed in the city's intangible cultural heritage in 2006.

The canal chants bear the hallmarks of Caoyun culture and they vary in types of work on and off boats, such as weighing anchor, putting up a mast, sculling, shooting the rapids, towing a boat, and entering and leaving warehouses.

The Tongzhou canal chants have characteristics melding both Beijing culture and musical elements from southern chanties, thus standing out among the city's intangible cultural heritage, said Zhang Shiqiang from the Beijing History, Geography and Folklore Society.

New vitality

Although the Caoyun system has declined and faded from the historical stage, the boatmen's chants that arose from the canal transport are still sung along the Grand Canal.

In the decade since the inscription of the Grand Canal as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the boatmen's chants, as a cultural symbol, have been performed countless times along the canal. The resounding and sonorous chants lead people through the passage of time.

After retiring in 2017, Zhao has devoted himself to the preservation and promotion of the boatmen's chants.

Currently his performance team consists of 13 members — and even his 13-year-old granddaughter has taken a liking to learning chants from him, Zhao said. "There are now successors to pass on the boatmen's chants," he said.

In addition, Zhao has brought the chanties to primary and secondary schools. Many primary and secondary schools in the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center in Tongzhou have introduced intangible cultural heritage programs to share the boatmen's chants, which are popular, he said.

In his view, offering these heritage programs is not about how well the children sing, but mainly about narrating history and helping children understand the spirit of unity, mutual assistance, hard work and perseverance embodied in the boatmen's chants.

Testimony to changes

Every time Zhao performs by the canal, he likes to observe the canal and its surroundings, where the environment has substantially improved and more high-rises have emerged.

"The most significant and noticeable change in the past decade has been the environment. Around 2014, the scenery along the canal was quite ordinary and the residents in the vicinity didn't pay much attention to it," he said. "However, with the construction of Beijing Municipal Administrative Center, the canal and its surroundings changed day by day."

"Many major projects have been added along both banks of the canal, looking very modern and grand," he said. The rapid changes have strengthened his sense of pride in his hometown.

In October 2019, the Tongzhou urban section of the Grand Canal opened to tourists. During the opening ceremony, Zhao performed the boatmen's chants.

Recalling the moment, Zhao said: "At that time, I thought to myself, the navigation is a big event for our Tongzhou and I must perform with such vigor."

Since then, a number of advances have been made. In September 2020, the Beijing Urban Green Heart Forest Park opened; in September 2022, the Dipamkara Pagoda in the northern section of the Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Area and the surrounding ancient architectural sites began trial operations; in April 2024, the Beijing (Tongzhou) Grand Canal Cultural Tourism Area achieved the status of a national 5A-level scenic spot.

Over the years, a string of significant events have taken place by the canal. Many cultural events related to the canal would invite Zhao to perform an authentic canal boatmen's chant on-site.

"Today's chanties are still evolving, growing along with the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center," Zhao said. "This development fuels my determination to continue the inheritance."