"Laowai" in China | Dutch scholar delves deep into world of Chinese folk songs

Xinhua
26 Jun 2025, 17:15 GMT+10

(250626) -- LANZHOU, June 26, 2025 (Xinhua) -- A Hua'er singer performs in Minxian County, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 11, 2025. Frank Kouwenhoven, a 69-year-old Dutch scholar, has dedicated over 20 years to studying Hua'er, a folk song popular in northwest China.

Hua'er literally means "flower" in Chinese. This oral art form, expressed in various dialects, originates from lyrics that compare women to flowers and has been cherished by nine different ethnic groups for over six hundred years. In 2009, UNESCO recognized Hua'er as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Kouwenhoven described Hua'er not only as a living art but also as a shared passion with his wife, Antoinet Schimmelpenninck. The couple discovered Hua'er in the 1990s and has then embarked on a treasure hunt in northwest China.

Just as the couple's research on Hua'er was nearing results, Kouwenhoven's wife passed away from cancer in 2012, leaving him devastated. The Hua'er project was subsequently put on hold, becoming an emotional burden he was reluctant to confront.

Kouwenhoven returned to Gansu in 2017 after realizing that the best way to honor his late wife was to continue their joint research on Hua'er.

"As I continued my trip in China, I could sense the presence of my wife beside me. We share many common aspirations, such as our desire to conquer the highest mountain and immerse ourselves in the most vibrant Hua'er," Kouwenhoven said.

Speaking of the future, Kouwenhoven hopes to promote Hua'er overseas. "I have plans to write two books. One about the music and the other about our adventurous trip searching for Hua'er." (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

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