Transformation Mechanisms of Traditional Music in Tourism Contexts: A Case Study of Nanyin
Journal: Arts Studies and Criticism DOI: 10.32629/asc.v7i2.5130
Abstract
Against the backdrop of globalization and the rapid development of tourism, traditional music is undergoing significant transformation. Taking Chinese Nanyin as a focal case, this article examines the transformation pathways and underlying mechanisms of traditional music in tourism contexts from the perspective of music as social practice. Through a comparative analysis of four cases, including Bali in Indonesia, Mah Meri in Malaysia, hula in Hawaii, and Dong Grand Song in China, the study identifies common patterns of change and develops a conceptual model structured around four interrelated dimensions: performance purpose, artistic form, social function, and modes of transmission. This model explains the dynamic process of transformation. The findings suggest that such transformations are not unidirectional adaptations but emerge through continuous interaction with tourism, reshaping both social roles and cultural meanings. Applying this model to Nanyin, the study argues that its challenges stem not only from limited audience reach and dissemination modes, but also from unclear positioning across cultural contexts. Accordingly, the paper offers analytical insights into performance stratification, interpretive reconstruction, functional reorientation, and participatory transmission. By systematically theorizing the interaction between traditional music and tourism, this study provides a framework for understanding the sustainable development of traditions such as Nanyin in contemporary society.
Keywords
traditional music; tourism; cultural transmission; Nanyin; ethnomusicology
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[3] Desmond, J. C. (1997). Invoking “The Native”: Body Politics in Contemporary Hawaiian Tourist Shows. TDR : Drama Review, 41(4), 83–109. https://doi.org/10.2307/1146662
[4] Dunbar-Hall, P. (2001). Culture, tourism and cultural tourism: Boundaries and frontiers in performances of Balinese music and dance. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 22(2), 173–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/07256860120069594
[5] Elbourne, R. (1975). The Study of Change in Traditional Music. Folklore (London), 86(3–4), 181–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/0015587X.1975.9716020
[6] Elliott, D. J. (1995). Music matters: A new philosophy of music education. Oxford University Press.
[7] Harnish, D. (2005). Teletubbies in paradise: Tourism, Indonesianisation and modernisation in Balinese music. Yearbook for Traditional Music, 37, 103-123.
[8] Imada, A. L. (2004). Hawaiians on tour: Hula circuits through the American empire. American Quarterly, 56(1), 111–149. Johns Hopkins University Press.
[9] Liu, Y., & Chen, Y. (2023). Research on Nanyin Cultural and Creative Design Based on Interactive Narrative Theory. In International Science and Culture for Academic Contacts. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Art and Design: Inheritance and Innovation (ADII (No. 2023, p. 9).
[10] Mazlan, C. A. N., Abdullah, M. H., Nor Hashim, N. S., & Abdul Wahid, N. (2025). Music in cultural tourism: Insights from a dual approach of scoping review and bibliometric analysis. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12, 525. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04847-3
[11] Quanzhou Evening News. (2025, February 17). Quanzhou tops the list of cities with the fastest annual festive trend growth in 2025. [Quanzhou ranks first among cities with the fastest tourism growth in 2025] [in Chinese]. https://szb.qzwb.com/qzsb/pc/cons/202502/17/content_122062.html
[12] Small, C. (1996). Music, society, education (Wesleyan University Press paperback ed. 1996.). University Press of New England.
[13] Song, Y., & Yuan, M. (2021). Tourism and its impact on Dong traditional music and life in Xiaohuang. Journal of Tourism and Cultural Change, 19(2), 200–215. https://doi.org/10.1080/14766825.2019.1707839
[14] Tan, S. E. (2021). Unequal cosmopolitanisms: Staging Singaporean nanyin in and beyond Asia. In Asian City Crossings (pp. 189-211). Routledge.
[15] Wu, P., Wang, X., Huang, Y., & Yang, X. (2025a). Tourists’ perceptions and loyalty of Nanyin traditional music in Chinese music tourism. SAGE Open, 15(3), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440251374400
[16] Wu, W., Ma, Y., Lin, Y., Zhang, X., & Chen, L. (2025b). Exploring the mechanism of host–guest value co-creation on tourists’ environmental responsibility behavior in agricultural heritage. npj Heritage Science, 13, 291. https://doi.org/10.1038/s40494-025-01864-y
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