Chinese Folk Songs for Music Teachers
  • Home
  • Ancient Poems
    • Xiāng Sī (Thinking of Each Other)
    • Dēng guàn què lóu (Climbing Stork Tower)
    • Jìng Yè Sī (Quiet Night Thoughts)
    • Fù Dé Gǔ Yuán Cǎo Sòng Bié (Farewell on an Ancient Plain)
  • Songs and Games
    • Nursery Rhymes >
      • Dǎ Huā Pāi (Clapping Together)
      • Dǎ Qiáo Mài (Threshing the Buckwheat)
      • Duì Huáng Xiè (Yellow Crab Song)
      • Huá Chuán Gē (The Paddling Song)
      • Jīn Suǒ, Yín Suǒ (Gold Lock, Silver Lock)
    • Nursery Rhymes Continued >
      • Mài Mài Duō, Chī Guǒ Guo (Come Together, Let's Eat Candy)
      • Mù Tóng Yáo (The Shepherd Boy Song
      • Suān Méi Tāng (The Plum Drink)
      • Suǒ nà pèi lǎ bāg (Suona Plays with the Trumpet)
      • Xīng Xīng Duō, Wá Wa Duō (Many Stars, Many Children)
    • Even More Nursery Rhymes! >
      • Yī Yā Yāo (Rowing Song)
      • Yōu Yáo Lán (Rocking the Cradle)
      • Zhuó Mù Niǎo (Woodpecker)
      • Lā Dà Jù (Pulling the Big Saw)
      • Xiǎo Hào Zī, Shàng Dēng Tái (Little Mouse Climbing the Oil Lamp)
      • Xiǎo Xiǎo Zī, Zuò Mén Duēn Er (Little Boy Sitting on the Door Step)
    • Yǒng é (To Goose)
    • Shàng Xué Gē (Going to School)
    • Du Shu Lang (The Little Schoolboy)
    • Diū Shǒu Juàn (Drop the Handkerchief)
    • Xiǎo Yàn Zi (Little Swallow)
  • Regional Folk Songs
    • Kang Ding (Sichuan Province)
    • Xiǎo hé tǎng shuǐ (Flowing River)
    • Wa Ha Ha (Xinjiang Province)
    • Zai Na Yao Yuan De Di Fang (Xinjiang Province)
    • Yí Méng Shān Xiǎo Diào (YiMeng Mountain)
    • Biān Huā Lán (Weaving Flower Baskets)
    • Xiān qǐ le nǐ dē gài tóu lǎi (Xinjiang Province)
    • Biān Huā Lán (Weaving Flower Baskets)
    • Jiāo Chěng Shān (Shanxi Province)
    • Shí Dòu Dòu (Shanxi Province)
  • Popular Classics
    • Hǎo Dà Yì Kē Shù​​ (Great Big Tree)
    • Shì Shàng Zhǐ Yǒu Mā Mā Hǎo (Mom is the best in the World)
    • Mō Lì Huā (Jasmine Flower)
    • Chóng ér fēi (Fireflies)
    • Nán Wàng Jīn Xiāo (Unforgettable Night)
    • Wǒ Hé Nǐ(You and Me)
  • About

Chinese Folk Songs Project

A collection of popular Chinese music in an easy-to-learn format for English-speakers
***NEW***
Check out the new nursery rhyme songs in the songs and games section!

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This website is a resource for music teachers around the world who want to teach their students Chinese songs in a culturally responsive way. The music featured in this project includes collections of traditional folk songs, popular music that everyone knows to sing along to, and songs for school children. This is an ever-growing collection of music that is commonly sung in China, in a format that is easy for English-speakers to learn.

Each song is transcribed into staff notation (and where possible, includes the original jiǎnpǔ, numbered notation), and has the words translated into English and written phonetically in Pinyin. Audio files of both the word pronunciation and the song set to music, as a well as a brief history of the song, are also provided.

This collection has been curated by Chinese music teachers, Guó Xiǎo Líng, Wáng Dì, and Zhao Yang in Shandong, China, translated by Ken Lam and shared with Kim Friesen-Wiens, a music teacher based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, during her travels through China. The goal is to give music educators greater access to Chinese folk music and to enable them to be more culturally responsive in their music making. Find out more about the Chinese Folk Songs Project.

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Ancient Poems
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Ancient poems set to music.
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Learn More
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Popular Classics
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Songs everyone in China knows.
Learn More
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Songs & Games

Regional Folk Songs
Songs and games for school children.
Learn More
Songs from the different provinces of China
LEARN MORE
Home
About
Contact
The Chinese Folk Music Project is a resource for english-speaking music teachers to teach their students chinese songs in a culturally responsive way. This project is made possible with the support of the Confucius Institute in Edmonton.
  • Home
  • Ancient Poems
    • Xiāng Sī (Thinking of Each Other)
    • Dēng guàn què lóu (Climbing Stork Tower)
    • Jìng Yè Sī (Quiet Night Thoughts)
    • Fù Dé Gǔ Yuán Cǎo Sòng Bié (Farewell on an Ancient Plain)
  • Songs and Games
    • Nursery Rhymes >
      • Dǎ Huā Pāi (Clapping Together)
      • Dǎ Qiáo Mài (Threshing the Buckwheat)
      • Duì Huáng Xiè (Yellow Crab Song)
      • Huá Chuán Gē (The Paddling Song)
      • Jīn Suǒ, Yín Suǒ (Gold Lock, Silver Lock)
    • Nursery Rhymes Continued >
      • Mài Mài Duō, Chī Guǒ Guo (Come Together, Let's Eat Candy)
      • Mù Tóng Yáo (The Shepherd Boy Song
      • Suān Méi Tāng (The Plum Drink)
      • Suǒ nà pèi lǎ bāg (Suona Plays with the Trumpet)
      • Xīng Xīng Duō, Wá Wa Duō (Many Stars, Many Children)
    • Even More Nursery Rhymes! >
      • Yī Yā Yāo (Rowing Song)
      • Yōu Yáo Lán (Rocking the Cradle)
      • Zhuó Mù Niǎo (Woodpecker)
      • Lā Dà Jù (Pulling the Big Saw)
      • Xiǎo Hào Zī, Shàng Dēng Tái (Little Mouse Climbing the Oil Lamp)
      • Xiǎo Xiǎo Zī, Zuò Mén Duēn Er (Little Boy Sitting on the Door Step)
    • Yǒng é (To Goose)
    • Shàng Xué Gē (Going to School)
    • Du Shu Lang (The Little Schoolboy)
    • Diū Shǒu Juàn (Drop the Handkerchief)
    • Xiǎo Yàn Zi (Little Swallow)
  • Regional Folk Songs
    • Kang Ding (Sichuan Province)
    • Xiǎo hé tǎng shuǐ (Flowing River)
    • Wa Ha Ha (Xinjiang Province)
    • Zai Na Yao Yuan De Di Fang (Xinjiang Province)
    • Yí Méng Shān Xiǎo Diào (YiMeng Mountain)
    • Biān Huā Lán (Weaving Flower Baskets)
    • Xiān qǐ le nǐ dē gài tóu lǎi (Xinjiang Province)
    • Biān Huā Lán (Weaving Flower Baskets)
    • Jiāo Chěng Shān (Shanxi Province)
    • Shí Dòu Dòu (Shanxi Province)
  • Popular Classics
    • Hǎo Dà Yì Kē Shù​​ (Great Big Tree)
    • Shì Shàng Zhǐ Yǒu Mā Mā Hǎo (Mom is the best in the World)
    • Mō Lì Huā (Jasmine Flower)
    • Chóng ér fēi (Fireflies)
    • Nán Wàng Jīn Xiāo (Unforgettable Night)
    • Wǒ Hé Nǐ(You and Me)
  • About