Luo Ying  - Representative Inheritor of Yi Meige Folk Song Project in Yao'an County, Chuxiong

Luo Ying (born 1968) from Yao’an County (姚安县), Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture (楚雄彝族自治州), Yunnan Province, is the national-level representative inheritor of the Yi Meige (梅葛) epic tradition. With over 50 years of dedication and innovation, she has carried this “encyclopedia of Yi culture” from the fireside to the global stage, earning the title “Nightingale of Yi Villages.”

Family Roots and Early Inspiration

Luo Ying was born in Mayou Village (马游村), Guantun Town (官屯镇)—the birthplace of Meige, celebrated as the “Hometown of Yi Meige Culture.”

• Her father, Luo Xueming, leader of the Mayou Meige Folk Art Troupe, was her first teacher.

• At age 5, she began learning Meige under his guidance, later studying with renowned Meige master Guo Youzhen.

• She mastered the full vocal spectrum: Elder’s Meige, Middle-age Meige, Youth Meige, and Child Meige.

• Known for her renditions of classics such as “Creation of Heaven and Earth (开天辟地)” and “Love Song (相思调),” her style blends the boldness of Yi mountain songs with the depth of narrative poetry.

CCTV praised her voice as “retaining the most authentic wild charm of Meige.”

Core Skills and Cultural Transmission

1. Guardian of a Living Epic

Meige, the Yi people’s oral epic, is a cultural “genealogical root” covering creation myths, daily life, and social customs.

• In “Creation of Heaven and Earth,” Luo vividly sings of cosmic beginnings, sibling marriage, and Yi ancestors’ worldview.

• In “Love Song,” she portrays the intimate emotions of Yi youth, providing valuable insight into social change.

2. Builder of a Teaching System

She established a “family workshop + school curriculum + community training” model:

• School Outreach (since 2008): At Mayou Primary School (马游小学), she teaches Meige weekly, adapting songs like “Wamula (挖木拉)” into morning exercises and creating a “Meige Lusheng Dance.” Over 600 students have been trained, and her model spread to 5 other schools.

• Community Transmission: At her home, she set up a fireside training program, mentoring over 300 apprentices. Among them, Zi Guiju and Zi Xiaomin became county-level inheritors. In 2010, she trained 53 local teachers, expanding Meige from niche practice to widespread recognition.

Cultural Promotion and Creative Innovation

1. Cultural Ambassador on National and Global Stages

• International Stage: In 2024, Luo led her team on CCTV’s “China in Intangible Heritage” gala at Shanghai’s Bund, where her Meige performance was praised by UNESCO experts as “a contemporary echo of Eastern epics.”

• Recordings and Archives: Her “Mountain Crossing Song (过山调)” was released on CD, while “Love Song” entered the Chinese Minority Folk Song Database.

2. Festival and Media Presence

• She organizes the annual “Meige Culture Festival” during the Torch Festival, with innovative productions such as “Mother of the Yi Mountains” and “Golden Rooster Heralds Spring.”

• Online broadcasts attract over 1.1 million viewers, making Meige accessible to wider audiences.

3. Cultural Tourism and Creative Products

• At the Mayou Meige Ecological Tourism Park, she designed a Meige Experience Center where visitors join fireside duets and try lusheng-making. Over 50,000 tourists annually participate, raising villagers’ incomes by 2,000 RMB per person.

• Working with heritage workshops, she launched 20+ Meige-inspired products, including tea sets and embroidery. The “Meige Totem Bookmark” has topped Yao’an’s heritage product sales for three consecutive years.

Heritage Protection and Policy Practice

1. Systematic Safeguarding

• Documentation: With scholar Guo Xiaowei, she co-authored the 4.1-million-character “Anthology of Yi Meige Epics of China,” filling a major preservation gap.

• Digital Archives: With Yunnan Minzu University, she created 3D recordings of 50 Meige songs, ensuring high-quality digital preservation.

2. Policy Support and Collaboration

• Secured national heritage funding for a training center, recording equipment, and apprentice stipends.

• Initiated the “Yao’an Meige Lecture Troupe,” integrating Party policy into Meige storytelling. Their documentary series “Carrying the National Emblem into Yi Villages” received recognition from the Supreme People’s Court.

Challenges and Breakthroughs

Despite her impact, Luo faces obstacles:

• Talent Shortage: Mastery requires 8–10 years of study. Apprentices average 45 years old, with only 2 under 30.

• Market Bottleneck: Ritual-based Meige is limited to specific contexts, while cultural products generate modest profits.

Her Solutions

1. Technology: Partnered with Huawei’s “Digital Intangible Heritage” project to develop a VR-based Meige teaching system—with over 2 million views on Learning Power (学习强国).

2. Cross-Genre Fusion: Blending Meige with modern music, she released the album “New Rhythms of Meige (梅葛新韵),” with the track “Fireside Nights (火塘夜话)” surpassing 5 million plays on Douyin (抖音).

3. Youth Programs: At Yao’an Youth Activity Center, she runs weekend Meige classes combining games and role-play, training over 80 children.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Luo Ying’s legacy carries three layers of importance:

• Historical Value: Her performances preserve symbols of Yi religious belief, serving as living specimens of Southwest China’s creation myths.

• Artistic Innovation: Her “Fireside Meige” stage production won gold at the Yunnan Ethnic Folk Song and Dance Festival.

• Community Unity: In multi-ethnic Yao’an, Meige strengthens solidarity. Her troupe includes Yi, Han, and Lisu members, earning recognition as a “Yunnan Model Team for Ethnic Unity and Progress.”

As Luo herself says:
“Meige is not just song—it is the cultural DNA of the Yi people, safeguarded with life itself.”

In the digital era, with resilience and creativity, she ensures that this thousand-year-old epic continues to thrive as a living part of China’s diverse civilization.