Hebei Xushui To Move People Jhuangnan Club Study

During the Great Leap Forward in the 1950s an unknown music ensemble made up of peasants from Qianmin Village, Xushui County in Hebei Province, became a household name across China when they performed in Tian'anmen Square during National Day celebrations in 1958. 'Heroes Conquer the Dadu River' became their signature piece. In the transition from village to the capital, this ensemble (called the Southern Music Association) was renamed 'The Great Leap Forward Wind and Song Association' by the central government. Traditionally, a 'drum and wind' ensemble that performed at a number of important religious rituals within and around the village, it became an important political and propaganda tool during this period.This thesis focuses on the significant role of the ensemble in promoting political goals of the Communist Party in the late 1950s, as well as exploring issues of change and continuity within the Southern Music Association.To the best of my knowledge, this is the first in-depth study of the politicization of the Southern Music Association as a vehicle for promoting social and political ideas in China during the Great Leap Forward.