Discovery Culture: Landscape And Understanding Of Huaihe River

The Huaihe River Flower-Drum is a typical form and the source of Flower-Drum, which is one of the most representative and universal fork arts of Han ethnic. To elaborate aesthetics and culture dimension of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum will help to provide some experimental promotion and artistic inspiration by understanding the characters of local art and catching a glimpse of national culture as well as the national views of aesthetics. This thesis based on the fully attention of subject-related topics, the unique and realistic of the study object. It is trying to present an entire landscape of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum, while, giving an in-depth interpretation of the object’s aesthetics and dimension of meaning.This paper consists of five chapters and an introduction. The introduction includes:a briefly description of the study object, methods adopted, study target and outcomes of related researches. On the other hand, it will also point out the starting perspective and the purpose of the study.In chapter one, the Huaihe River Flower-Drum will be put into a historical context of folk art. With the cultural prerequisite of the main myths and legends in Huaihe River, using the "Multi-Evidential Method" to precipitate a historical feature of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum. This part believes that the Huaihe River Flower-Drum originated from Nuo, hidden in the Buddha, used by humble singers and spread during the Song Dynasty. It is not derived from Yangge, Shehuo, Dayehu and other art forms, also not from what’s so called "the Song Dynasty", which actually confused the concepts between historical period and origin. So, what goes important is to seize the artistic elements of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum, compare Flower-Drum and Fengyang Flower-Drum so that make the distinguishing characteristics reveal themselves.Chapter two using "Thick Description" method to target on the real performance and "Enchanted Technology" that the Huaihe River Flower-Drum has taken. With the way of "Thick Description" to reveal characters of study object, meanwhile, what status and influence of an art actor have during his artistic behavior will be also taken. It will put forward that "makeup","martial art","with eyes send passion","imitate and expression" are main methods the Huaihe River Flower-Drum used as "Enchanted Technology". Furthermore, it’s the first time that "synthesis","reverse","local" and "performative" are discussed as main artistic features of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum. At the same time, with a changing sight to find the destiny of art in the system of culture and even in our daily life.Based on related aesthetic theories of eastern and western, chapter three will explain aesthetics of art in the Huaihe River Flower-Drum. From the American philosopher John Dewey, the French philosopher Merleau-Ponty’s discussion of aesthetic experience and the views of the body, this chapter analyzes the Huaihe River Flower-Drum, which reflect body aesthetics contained in peasants’daily life and labor. Then, the study, comes up with a theory that "charming","beautiful","humorous","rustic" are the aesthetics style of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum, and makes "play" as a core function of folk art. Finally, a conclusion about thought of aesthetic value constituted by living, life and folk truth.The major duty of chapter four is to search the function of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum. The chapter argues that treatment, folk, communication are the main functions of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum when it is in the folk world. This is primarily presented in treating epidemic disease, coming loose pestilence and mass gathering. Not only in the range of aesthetics, but also extend the sight to a louder scope to study the function of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum.Chapter five will explain the meaning of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum in a cultural background. Discussing the influence which traditional culture, farming culture and local culture impact on the Huaihe River Flower-Drum and what both concern. The Taoist culture and the Huaihe River Flower-Drum have a same birthplace, the later one has the same aesthetic taste, Lohas consciousness, real-simplicity idea just like the former one. Farming culture structure and farming culture contain body habits, and those habits reflect in the perform of the Huaihe River Flower-Drum. Those local culture such as Huaihe River disaster history, folk customs are also expressed in the modern Huaihe River Flower-Drum.