Changhai Sea Chanteys

Changhai chanties (sea chanties) are the work songs that arose among the fishermen of the Changshan islands in Changhai county, Dalian, during their seaborne trade and fishing labour, traceable to the late Eastern Han and flourishing into the late Qing and early Republic; they entered the third national ICH list in 2010 under traditional music.

The chanties are grouped by labour scene—weighing anchor, rowing, hauling nets, shouldering cargo and more—with one leading voice and the crew answering, the rhythm clear and the sound high and stark, accompanying the heavy collective work at sea and called the "life-cry of those who brave the sea."

Changhai chanties crystallise the labour and lived experience of northern island fishermen, carrying Liaodong's maritime culture and the collective memory of fishing communities, valuable for the study of Chinese sea chanties and island folklore.