Boat Wedding of Doumen
1 min readShatian Folk Song
Adefining element in the vitality of the boat wedding tradition of Doumen is the Shatian folk song, or colloquially ‘xian shui ge”, that has a history believed to date back to the Eastern Jin times (317-420 of China. With its sonorous vocal presentation resembling today’s a cappella, this invigorating ballad form is an important source of today’s ‘Cantopop’.
The “Boat wedding”was created by the ancestors of Doumen’s current residents.
Located at the southwestern tip of the Pearl River Delta, Doumen is regarded as Zhuhai’s cultural “treasure house”. Strewn with a network of waterways characteristic of south China in ancient times, Doumen is also known as the hometown of more than 160,000 overseas Chinese. It is well-known for a dazzling collection of famed delicacies and cultural traditions, including its “boat wedding”tradition-an elaborate ceremony that includes as many as 13 rituals.
The intriguing wedding tradition spawned a group of famous “wedding planners”, one of whom is Feng Beihai, whose blazing singing style is considered by the locals as “superb”. One of the major figures in the inheritance of the tradition is Guo Xingfu, who makes a living as a “boat wedding singer”. Interestingly, his given name “xingfu” means”happiness”-the ultimate goal of two people tying the knot.
