China Rock Base, Why Xinxiang, Henan？

This article is about 4500 words.

Reading takes 12 minutes.

Some time ago, a rock music festival was held in Xinxiang, Henan Province. Perhaps many people are interested in this contrast. In fact, Xinxiang is a well-known "hometown of rock and roll". After all, its English name can also be "New York". In 1998 and 1999, Xinxiang held China New Music Concert twice; Zhengzhou Railway Bureau also set up a rock train. It is said that the opening of Xinxiang Hotel invited all rock bands. So, how did Xinxiang, an ancient land located in the Central Plains, plant the rock gene?

Xinxiang street at night. Photography /CZAN Chen, source/figure worm creativity

Mu Ye and Xinxiang

Xinxiang, known as Mu Ye in ancient times, has a long and profound history, with Taihang in the north and Yellow River in the south. Zou Heng, a famous archaeologist in China, once said: "There are three breakthroughs in the study of Xia culture in Henan, the first is Erlitou in Yanshi, the second is Zhengzhou, and the third is Xinxiang." During the Shang Dynasty, Xinxiang belonged to the land within the capital and was the base of the origin and rule of Shang tribes. The Battle of Makino, which led to the demise of the Shang Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago, also took place in Xinxiang.

Schematic diagram of Makino Battle

In the Western Zhou Dynasty, there was a city in the middle of Mu Ye, which was sealed by Guan Shu, the brother of Zhou Wuwang, and an important vassal state in the eastern part. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, most of Xinxiang belonged to Wei, while the west belonged to Zheng and Jin. In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the State of Jin was powerful. In 632 BC, the army of the State of Jin fought with Qin, Qi, Song and Chu in Chengpu (now southwest of Juancheng County, Shandong Province), and the Chu army was defeated. After the Battle of Chengpu, the State of Jin joined forces with the kings of Qi, Lu, Song and Wei in Jiantu (now in Yuanyang County, Henan Province), which was called "the alliance of Jiantu" in history. Wang Jizheng of Zhou Xiang also sent representatives to participate in the alliance, and Jin Wengong was named as the overlord. In order to further consolidate the hegemony of the Central Plains, the State of Jin was again a vassal in Wen (now in wen county, Henan Province), and King Xiang of Zhou was also invited to the meeting. During the Warring States period, Xinxiang belonged to Korea first, and then to Wei. Xinxiang recorded the stormy times of diplomatic mediation.

Wei and Zheng in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Source/Tan Qixiang Edition Atlas of Chinese History

After the Qin Dynasty, Xinxiang’s administrative planning gradually became clear. In the Qin Dynasty, Xinxiang belonged to Sanchuan County, and in the Western Han Dynasty, the whole country set up the Sili Department and the Thirteen Secretariat Departments. The major part of Xinxiang belonged to Hanoi County of the Sili Department, while the eastern part belonged to Chenliu County of Henan County and Yanzhou Secretariat Department, and set up Ji County, Gongxian County, Huojia County, Yuanwu County, Yangwu County, Juanxian County, fengqiu county County and Zizyphus County. In the second year of Taishi in the Western Jin Dynasty (266), Ji County was set up, and Ji County (southwest of Weihui City, Henan Province) was ruled. Its jurisdiction is roughly equivalent to today’s cities and counties such as Weihui City, huixian city, Huojia County, Xinxiang City and Xiuwu County.

In the fifth year of Taihe in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (370), Murong Zang, the younger brother of Murong Wei, the former emperor of Yan State, met the former Qin army and built a new city called Xinle City. In the sixth year of Emperor Kai of Sui Dynasty (586), Xinxiang County, now the old town of Xinxiang City, was established, belonging to Hanoi County. Although the organizational system has changed since then, the basic pattern of Xinxiang has not changed. In the late Qing Dynasty, compared with coastal towns, Xinxiang was less impacted by western culture and its social form did not change significantly. At the beginning of the 20th century, with the intersection of Beijing-Han Railway and Daoqing Railway in Xinxiang, the urban development of Xinxiang entered a new historical period.

The map of Xinxiang county in Henan province during the Republic of China shows that Xinxiang county is located at the intersection of two railway lines at this time. Source/(Republic of China) "Continued Records of Xinxiang County", Volume 1, "Illustration", "China Local Records Series, North China Place" No.473, printed by Chengwen Publishing House Co., Ltd. in 1976 according to the 12-year edition of the Republic of China.

Rock and roll and Xinxiang

Xinxiang not only records the political, economic and historical development of China, but also is the carrier of opera and music. As a major province of opera, Henan Opera and local operas are equally popular in Xinxiang. Coupled with the gradual convenience of transportation in the late Qing Dynasty and the interweaving of various cultures, Zhongzhou Drum, Kaiming Drum, Xihe Huai Bang Opera, Xiangfudiao and other operas have always prevailed. Xinxiang people have a strong "artistic cell", and many middle-aged people will learn to play drums and guitar after they get married.

After the reform and opening up, both the city and social culture have quietly changed, and Xinxiang was also enlightened by the surging Chinese rock and roll at that time. If you meet someone who wears leather clothes and has long hair on the street, you will often ask the other person: "Do you listen to rock?"

In 1986, with the spread of "Northwest Wind" series of songs such as "Xintianyou", "Loess Plateau" and "My Hometown in Love", the "Northwest Wind" series of works formed the first wave of local music culture. The rise of rock and roll also took place in 1986, and some scholars even pointed out that "Nothing" and "Journey to Heaven" should be the source of "Northwest Wind".

Since its birth, rock and roll is a special cultural symbol, which always appears in a posture beyond the ordinary world and soars towards the height of spirit. Rock songs have a wide range of expressions, including deep historical nostalgia like Dream Back to the Tang Dynasty, Zhang Chu’s personal concern for fate, and Black Panther band’s realistic reflection and confusion. Generally speaking, they all have a spirit of inquiring and reflecting on reality and life. As a "new force" in pop music, rock and roll has opened up new space for the poetic latitude of lyrics and the functional latitude of songs.

Screenshot of the song MV of the Tang Dynasty band "Dream Back to the Tang Dynasty"

Under this background, Xinxiang is also interacting with the rock era. On the evening of April 11th, 1998, Xinxiang Sports Center was brightly lit, and the first "China New Music Concert" was held here. It is said that the concert was originally planned to be held in a disco in Zhengzhou, and three rock bands were invited to make a platter. But Liaoyuan Huang, who has held several performances in Beijing, said: If you want to play, play big! So nine bands were booked. When the organizer heard nine bands, he was blindsided, knowing that a disco could not be put down, and considering that Zhengzhou’s approval must be very troublesome, he suggested moving to Xinxiang Sports Center, which can hold 30,000 people, to bring economic benefits to small places and enhance cultural awareness. That’s it.

God of Light is Black Panther band’s second music album, which was released in August 1993.

Someone once recalled: "In 1998, Chinese rock went to Xinxiang, Henan Province to perform, which was a great gathering of Chinese rock since 1993, which was particularly exciting. Because rock musicians perform in bars in bits and pieces, there is no such stage for them to show. " "In order to make the rock performance more smooth, so let Sun Nan start and sing" Red Flag Fluttering ". (There are also) Tang Dynasty, reincarnation, sobriety, zero point, overload, cobra, Bao Jiajie, compass and 1989 band, etc. "

This is a rock festival at the end of the 20th century. All musicians are full of joy. The exciting rhythm is knocking on everyone’s heart. The exciting power makes people excited. According to Liaoyuan Huang, the planner of this event, "When I planned Xinxiang rock concert in 1998, there was no rock music festival in China, and the outdoor performances of nine bands were the best at that time." On that night, Wang Feng changed "Good Night, Beijing" to "Good Night, Xinxiang", Gao Qi and Overload sang "Let Every Night Be Filled with the Flame of Love", and the audience lit lighters … The whole performance lasted for nearly four hours, and the atmosphere at the scene was climaxed. Taking this opportunity, at the request of fans, the Passenger Transport Department of Zhengzhou Railway Bureau specially designed the "Qiyuan" fan train: the train number is 680 and 681, and the fare is 11 yuan.

In 1998, China New Music Concert was held in Xinxiang, Henan Province. Source/Rocker

Because the first session was so successful, the next year, the second "China New Music (Xinxiang) Concert" arrived as scheduled. Different from 1998, Cui Jian and Black Panther band also joined the performance. In addition, Huaer Band and the rap group "D.D. Rhythm" founded by Dai Bing and Tianbao also joined in. Because of this performance, the musical horizons of fans in Xinxiang and even in China have been broadened again.

In the year of the real end of the century, when Cui Jian sang "Nothing", the whole stadium was in chorus. That kind of feeling, everyone present will remember it vividly in retrospect. For those who love rock and roll, this musical expression conveys the most direct emotional catharsis.

Cui Jian’s "Nothing" scene, 1992

The rock show for two consecutive years has made Xinxiang the base of Chinese rock. However, today we are familiar with the rock bands coming from the 20th century, and almost all of them enjoy the excitement brought by music with the audience in Xinxiang Sports Center. The two performances not only established Xinxiang’s position in the hearts of national rock fans, but also injected the immortal rock spirit into the city.

Why did a "China New Music Concert" become a special performance of rock music? It turned out that at that time, in order to avoid the rebellious meaning of the word "rock", most rock performances in Xinxiang were named "new music", and the two were corresponding. Liaoyuan Huang mentioned in "Ten Years of Rock on the Road": "One night in 1997, I finished the planning of’ 98 China New Music Concert (Xinxiang)’, because rock music was still a sensitive word at that time, so we chose the nondescript word’ new music’ as a cover." Some articles pointed out that those years coincided with the vigorous development of Xinxiang’s private economy, and all kinds of supermarkets and restaurants invited bands to perform when they opened their doors. Even when Huimian Noodles Pavilion opened, the bands at the door played rock and roll. Compared with Zhengzhou, Xinxiang has less pressure in life and musicians have enough time to make their own music. In big cities, however, you can’t make money as a band, and musicians are often busy running a venue or making a cover Shang Yan to support their families. Yang Baobin, a veteran rocker in Xinxiang, said that in Xinxiang, there are few people who use music to bluff, or feel that making music is superior. Generations of bands and organizers have been silently relaying in Xinxiang for nearly 20 years. Although the mentality is different, we play together and act together. Perhaps this is also the main reason why the organizer had to transfer Zhengzhou disco to Xinxiang Stadium when Liaoyuan Huang wanted to "play a big game".

Afterlife and Xinxiang

After that, Xinxiang not only attracted a large number of rock singers to hold concerts, but also gave birth to many new forces of rock music. For example, Crazy Doctor Band, which was founded in Xinxiang in 2008, can be generally classified as "post-punk". In 2019, they released the single "Will you still hate me when I die one day?" The whole song was dark and cold, and the lyrics full of rebellion expressed the singer’s thinking about society. Some fans commented: "Support our band in new york, the Netherlands." "Holland" is the homonym of Henan, and "new york" is the nickname of Xinxiang for fans.

The seemingly playful expression shows people’s attachment to the rock atmosphere of this city. In addition, there is Pumpkins Little Pumpkin Band, which was founded in 2009. In their music, you can see many old punk figures in Europe and America in 1970s (such as The Stooges, Johnny Thunders, etc.). In 2005, led by the local record company "Revolver Records" in Henan Province, together with Xinxiang Survivor, Attempted, Medusa and several other Henan bands, released a collection "Race to the Central Plains". Twelve years later, South of the River, a new music collection of the Central Plains, continued the musical vitality of Xinxiang and the Central Plains. In this collection, which is led by the musician Renzi Fu, Remy Band, Godfather Band, Xiatu Band, Little Pumpkin Band, singers MIMO, Tian Qigao, Xiaonan, Wang Huafeng, Ye Lin and other groups of Central Plains music representatives joined in, and a total of 10 outstanding original works were included. The young rock power has brought a different kind of youth and rebellious color to Xinxiang.

The cover of South of the River

Rock music is rooted in Xinxiang and closely connected with it. In 2021, Henan suffered from torrential rains and floods. During this time, the whole country rushed to support the disaster area, and there was such a group of people in the rock circle. They not only donated money, but also came to Xinxiang to actively participate in the rescue work. Song Jie, a guitarist, and bands such as Da Wenxi, Crazy Doctor, Pumpkin, Mazi Ma, Sevenjoys, Cyclops, Nano Sound Shell and Red Scarf all participated in the on-site rescue in Xinxiang. This city, located in the north of Henan, is witnessing the growth and prosperity of rock and roll young people.

From Yangshao culture and Longshan culture to the battle of Makino and Guandu, from the first "China New Music Concert" to "Chasing the Deer in the Central Plains" and "The South of the River", Xinxiang recorded the long history of ancient China, and also painted a colorful stroke in the history of Chinese rock. It is conceivable that in the near future, China’s rock and new music will be sung in Xinxiang and the Central Plains for a long time.

References:

General situation of Xinxiang, Xinxiang Municipal People’s Government.

Yue Shi. Protection and Path of Historical and Cultural Resources from the Perspective of Regional Culture —— Taking Xinxiang City of Henan Province as an Example [J]. Journal of Henan Institute of Animal Husbandry Economics, 2020,33(02):53-58.

Cui Jian and Wang Feng testified that Xinxiang is the "Rock City".

Rescue the hometown of rock and roll in the flood, Xinxiang, Henan.

Ten groups of musicians from Henan gathered in Zhengzhou, and the compilation "South of the River" premiered.

Ye Dawei. From "Rock" to "Buddhism": An Interpretation of the Evolution of Youth Subculture in Pop Songs [J]. Contemporary Youth Studies, 2020,No.365(02):23-27.

Lu Zhenglan. Song Creation and Development in the Past 40 Years of Reform and Opening [J]. Journal of Sichuan Normal University (Social Science Edition), 2018,45(05):38-46.

Many people don’t know that Xinxiang is still the hometown of rock and roll.

Shan Qi. Walking on the edge of entertainment [M]. Writers Publishing House .2006.87.

The Outbreak of Rock and Roll —— Xinxiang, Henan Province

END

Author | Ma Zichen

Editor | Zhan Qianhui

Proofreading | Torch Li Dong Zhang Bin Gu Yue Miao Yiqi

* This article is the exclusive manuscript of "National Humanities History", and readers are welcome to forward it to the circle of friends.

National Humanities History magazine

Original title: "China Rock Base, Why Xinxiang, Henan? 》

Read the original text