Ballads reflecting local scenery and special products

The local Shaanxi people are very proud of the province's rich natural and cultural endowments. With the provincial capital of Xian being the capital of the country in some of the major dynasties in ancient China like the Qin (221-207BC), Han (206BC-206AD), and Tang (618-907), the ballads are also bound to express this special feature of the province.

For instance, one of the best-known ballads features the ten (sometimes eight) oddities about the local customs of the Guangzhong Plain.

1. Traditional houses in the region are usually built so distinctly that they look like only half of the regular Chinese residential dwellings.
2. Noodles are as thick and long as belts.
3. Local girls seldom marry outside their hometown.
4. Guokui , a kind of local hard wheat cake, is as big as the lid of a cooking pot.
5. Bowl and basin are the same to the local people.
6. Local people prefer to squat rather than sit.
7. Fried capsicum (a kind of pepper) is regarded as a dish rather than a condiment.
8. The locals use bricks as pillows.
9. Older women are used to wearing handkerchiefs on their heads.
10. Performers roar when performing traditional Qinqiang Opera.

Author: Jeff

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