The Research Of The Laiyuan County Yang Generals’ Oral Tradition

Located in Laiyuan County, Hebei Province, Yang Generals’ Oral Tradition has a long history and rich cultural features. It is a significant symbol in the culture heritage of Song and Liao Dynasty and has strong connection with the local history, scenery, specialties, and customs. It is also the valuable memory of local people in generations.Based on the theory of cultural anthropology, this paper investigates the current situation of Yang Generals’ Oral Tradition through synthesizing present literatures and conducting substantial firsthand field studies. The situation includes living condition of villages, source and change of the legendary stories, etc.The research shows that the emergence and development of Yang Generals’Oral Tradition are influenced by various factors. The research concludes that Yang Generals’Oral Tradition is characterized by a subconscious collective memory, a knowledge system, and a concept of power during the process of inheritance. It plays a positive role in holding local identity and strengthening group cohesion. In the end, the author provides possible suggestions regarding protecting Yang Generals’Oral Tradition and discusses the importance of the inheritor groups.Through the case study of Yang Generals’ Oral Tradition, the research calls for more attention on the protection of oral tradition among intangible cultural heritage.