"My Motherland" () is a song written for the Chinese movie ''

Battle on Shangganling Mountain ''Shangganling'' () is a 1956 in film, 1956 Chinese propaganda war film, also translated as ''Battle of Shangganling'' and ''Battle on Shangganling Mountain''. It depicts the Battle of Triangle Hill (Shangganling in Chinese) during the Korean War, ...

'' (1956). Lyrics were written by

Qiao Yu Qiao may refer to: * Qiao (surname), a common pronunciation for some Chinese surnames, such as 喬 and 橋. * Qiao (橋), Chinese character for "bridge". * Qiao (譙), a location in ancient China which corresponds to present-day Bozhou Bozhou ( ...

(). Music was composed by Liu Chi (). Both of them are well known for a number of songs since the 1950s. It remains a popular and famous patriotic song in mainland China, and the signature song for the famous operatic soprano

Guo Lanying Guo Lanying ( zh, 郭兰英; born December 1929 in Pingyao, Shanxi) is a noted Chinese operatic soprano best known for singing patriotic songs such as "My Motherland" (1956) and "Nanniwan" (1943). She was born into a poor family in Pingyao, ...

Lyrics and music

"My Motherland" was initially called "A Big River" () by the author, in order to represent the hundreds of rivers that flow in China. The title was changed when it was published with the movie. The song is divided into 3 stanzas. Within each stanza, the soloist sings first before the chorus sings its refrain. Although the song was written for a movie about

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

in the 1950s, there is no explicit mention of the war at all. It describes a soldier (or anyone who is away from home) thinking about his home and his family. The music for solo part has

folk song Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be c ...

style similar to those in

northern China Northern China () and Southern China () are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions is not precisely defined and only serve to depict where there appears to be regional differences between the climate ...

Lyrics

Controversy about Lang Lang playing "My Motherland" at state dinner

On January 19, 2011,

Lang Lang Lang Lang (; born 14 June 1982) is a Chinese pianist who has performed with leading orchestras in China, North America, Europe, and elsewhere. Active since the 1990s, he was the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, ...

played "My Motherland" as President

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

welcomed

Hu Jintao Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...

at a White House state dinner (many famous Chinese celebrities, including

Jackie Chan Fang Shilong (born 7 April 1954), known professionally in English as Jackie Chan and in Chinese as Cheng Long ( zh, c=成龍, j=Sing4 Lung4; "becoming the dragon"), is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker, martial artist, and stuntman known for ...

and

Yo-Yo Ma Yo-Yo Ma (''Chinese'': 馬友友 ''Ma Yo Yo''; born October 7, 1955) is an American cellist. Born in Paris to Chinese parents and educated in New York City, he was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He graduated from ...

attended, as well as some others.) On Lang Lang's blog, he put pictures that performed at the White House and wrote that "I soloed 'My Motherland' which in the mind of the Chinese people is one of the most beautiful songs. Being able to play this song in front of many foreign guests, including the heads of state from around the world, that praises China, and seemingly serenading a strong China and its people in solidarity, I am deeply honored and proud. I would like to share that day in the White House."Chinese Pianist Plays Anti-American Song at White House Dinner
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References

External links

Download audio filesThe Original Music Video from the movie
{{Chinese patriotic songs Chinese patriotic songs Maoist China propaganda songs Articles containing video clips Works about the Korean War