Nanniwan

Soldiers working at Nanniwan in 1943

"Nanniwan" (Chinese: 南泥灣; pinyin: Nánníwān; Wade–Giles: Nan²-ni²-wan¹; lit. 'South Muddy Bend') is a revolutionary song written in 1943 with lyrics by communist playwright and poet He Jingzhi and music by Ma Ke. It was made popular by the Communist Party of China and continues to be one of the most recognisable songs in the People's Republic of China.

Nanniwan is a gorge about 90 km southeast of Yan'an, Shaanxi province. In response to economic blockades by the Imperial Japanese Army and Kuomintang in 1941, the Communists set up crops production committee with Ren Bishi as its head and began experimenting with small scale agricultural development as well as poppy production in a bid to become self-sufficient. The 359th brigade of the Eighth Route Army was deployed to Nanniwan to improve productivity. In 1943 Nanniwan was heralded a success, and a propagandist song was commissioned. The lyrics, written by He Jingzhi, were set to a traditional folk melody of northern Shaanxi.

The song rose during the last years of the Second Sino-Japanese War and continued to be popular after the Communist victory in 1949. It is the signature song of the important revolutionary singer Wang Kun, and Cui Jian, widely regarded as the "father of Chinese rock," created a rock music version of the song in 1991. It experienced a revival during the mid-1990s along with other revolutionary songs, with the release of many readaptations in Guoyue compilations.

Lyrics[]

Simplified chinese	Traditional chinese	Pinyin	Translation
花篮的花儿香听我来唱一唱唱一唱来到了南泥湾南泥湾好地方好地呀方好地方来好风光好地方来好风光到处是庄稼遍地是牛羊往年的南泥湾处处是荒山没呀人烟如今的��泥湾与往年不一般不呀一般如呀今的南泥湾与呀往年不一般再不是旧模样是陕北的好江南陕北的好江南鲜花开满山开呀满山学习那南泥湾处处是江南是呀江南又站岗来又生产三五九旅是模范咱们走向前鲜花送模范	花籃的花兒香聽我來唱一唱唱一呀唱來到了南泥灣南泥灣好地方好地呀方好地方來好風光好地方來好風光到處是莊稼遍地是牛羊往年的南泥灣處處是荒山沒呀人煙如今的南泥灣與往年不一般不一呀般如呀今的南泥灣與呀往年不一般再不是舊模樣是陝北的好江南陝北的好江南鮮花開滿山開呀滿山學習那南泥灣處處是江南是呀江南又學習來又生產三五九旅是模範咱們走向前鮮花送模範	Huālán de huā er xiāng Tīng wǒ lái chàng yī chàng Chàng yī ya chàng Lái dàole nán ní wān Nán ní wān hǎo dìfāng Hǎo de ya fāng Hǎo dìfāng lái hǎo fēngguāng Hǎo dìfāng lái hǎo fēngguāng Dàochù shì zhuāngjia Biàndì shì niú yáng Wǎngnián de nán ní wān Chùchù shì huāngshān Méi ya rén yān Rújīn de nán ní wān Yǔ wǎngnián bù yībān Bù yī ya bān Rú ya jīn de nán ní wān Yǔ ya wǎngnián bù yībān Zài bu shì jiù múyàng Shì shǎnběi de hǎo jiāngnán Shǎnběi de hǎo jiāngnán Xiānhuā kāi mǎn shān Kāi ya mǎn shān Xuéxí nà nán ní wān Chùchù shì jiāngnán Shì ya jiāngnán Yòu xuéxí lái yòu shēngchǎn Sānwǔjiǔ lǚ shì mófàn Zánmen zǒuxiàng qián Xiānhuā sòng mófàn	Flowers in a basket are fragrant Listen to me sing a little Sing for a little Come to Nanniwan Nanniwan is a nice place Nice place Nice place and beautiful scenery Nice place and beautiful scenery Crops everywhere Cattle and sheep all around Nanniwan in years gone by Was a barren mountain With no people around Nanniwan today Is different from the past Nanniwan today Is different from the past And no longer looks like it did It is the Jiangnan* of Northern Shaanxi The Jiangnan of Northern Shaanxi Mountains full of flowers Mountains blossoming Know that in Nanniwan Everywhere is like Jiangnan Yes, like Jiangnan Learning again how to cultivate The 359th Brigade sets the example Let us go forward Let the example blossom

* This lyric, referring to Nanniwan as "Jiangnan", implies it is as prosperous as the extremely fertile area immediately south of the Yangtze.

v t Chinese patriotic songs
Qing dynasty	Pu Tian Yue Tune of Li Zhongtang Praise the Dragon Flag Cup of Solid Gold Training Soldier Song Anthem of the Beiyang Fleet
Republic of China (on Mainland) 1912–1949	How Great is Our China! China Heroically Stands in the Universe Song of Five Races Under One Union Song to the Auspicious Cloud March of the Volunteers National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China 800 Heroes Song The Sword March Along the Sungari River The Great Wall Ballad Guerrillas' Song [zh] Marshal Training Soldier Song Song of the National Revolution Gong Xi Gong Xi
Chinese Soviet Republic and People's Republic of China	March of the Volunteers [zh] The East is Red The Internationale Military Anthem of the Eighth Route Army Nanniwan Ode to the Motherland Song of the Military and Political University of Resistance Against Japan Three Rules and Eight Notices Unity is Strength Osmanthus Flowers Blooming Everywhere in August The Sky Above the Liberated Zone When Motherland Calls Upon Us Yellow River Cantata To the Rear of the Enemy I Love Beijing Tiananmen March of the People's Liberation Army I Love the Motherland's Blue Skies My Motherland Long Live Comrade Mao for Ten Thousand Years Red Star Shines Socialism is Good [zh] Learn from Comrade Lei Feng Sailing the Seas Depends on the Helmsman Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China My Chinese Heart My People, My Country Bloodstained Glory Loyalty to the Country Story of Spring When That Day Comes Towards Revival I Love You, China On the Great Road
Republic of China (on Taiwan) since 1949	National Anthem of the Republic of China National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China Ode to the Republic of China The Plum Blossom Chinese Dreams The Great Wall Ballad 800 Heroes Song [zh] Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Song Chiang Ching-kuo Memorial Song Go and Reclaim the Mainland Taiwan Is Good The Anti-Communist and Anti-Russian Aggression Song

Nanniwan

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