In a reflection meeting of AA China's Leishan DA in August 2007, many village facilitators suggested that to better preserve the unique Miao culture, AAIC should collect local folk songs and legends, and make them into CDs or books.
Earlier this year, AA China communication staff have visited a number of Miao villages to sample Miao folk songs in this area. When asked to sing a folk song, only women over 40 could say yes.
"Miao folk songs are mostly love songs. In the past, girls and boys get to fall in love with each other by exchanging love songs in the mountain. Now this tradition has been dying out. After the older generation of Miao people pass away, nobody will be able to sing a Miao folk song", said Mo Wenxian, principal of Zhangpi elementary school.
With the rapid urbanization of China, the Miao people have been greatly influenced by the mainstream Han Chinese culture. Like most villages in China, most men in their 20s and 30s go to work in the cities, leaving the miao girls with few young men to exchange songs with in the mountain.
"I don't feel comfortable with singing indoors. I can sing our songs only when outside in the mountain", said a women villager, apologizing for her 'shy' performance when asked to sing a Miao folk song. Miao music has been a part of their way of life and closed attached to the mountainous terrain where they have lived for generations.
In order to preserve Miao traditional culture and let the younger generation carry on Miao musical tradition, in 2006, working with local village schools, AA China encouraged school children to collect folk songs and legends from their parents and grandparents.
But since most of the folk songs are love songs, the children are often too shy to ask their parents, and the parents are also reluctant to provide the necessary support either.
Another difficulty of collecting this songs and legends lie in that Miao people do not have a written language. Miao folk songs have been carried to the next generation from mouth-to-mouth. It's almost impossible to record down the lyrics.
Meanwhile, the Miao musical system is also distinct from both the Western music and the Chinese music, making it different to write down the music.
To develop a better schism to collect Miao folk songs and legends, village facilitators later went to Miao villages and shared with local villagers their idea about collecting Miao folk songs and legends.
The villagers are very excited about this, especially women villagers. Encouraged by villagers' enthusiasm, AAIC staff will visit all the 20 project villages in the following months, to work with Miao villagers to work out a collecting schism.
"Every time when we visited a Miao village in the mountain, we were greeted by beautiful songs. When we left, Miao women would line up on a mountain hill, singing a farewell song loudly together, until we were out of sight. It was really an amazing experience. The music has been in their blood. I really wish that with our support, they can preserve this unique culture and carry on to the next generation", said AA China communication coordinator Yu Xiaodong.