NextSharkNextShark.com

The Most Popular Lunar New Year Song Has a Dark History

The Most Popular Lunar New Year Song Has a Dark History

January 20, 2017
SHARE
The most popular Lunar New Year song, “Gong Xi Gong Xi,” which literally means “congratulations, congratulations” or “Wishing You Prosperity and Happiness,” was not exactly meant for the holiday.
Written by composer and Shanghai native Chen Gexin, who also went by the pseudonyms Lin Mei and Qing Yu, the song was originally intended to celebrate China’s victory and freedom after the second Sino-Japanese War in 1945.
Gexin spent three months in prison, where he was reportedly tortured by the Imperial Japanese Army for writing patriotic songs during the war, according to SAYS.
It was also during this horrific event that the Nanking Massacre occurred, then the capital of China, where Japanese soldiers brutally tortured and killed as a maby as 300,000 civilians and surrendered soldiers.
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

The war apparently made an impact on Gexin’s songs, including “Gong Xi Gong Xi,” which was written in the minor key usually used to represent sadness and despair.
But the song about celebrating China’s triumph turned into a New Year tune because the Mandarin title is also used as a holiday greeting, as well as a way to signify the arrival of spring.
Gong Xi Gong Xi” has remained a part of the holiday season since the 1950s.
An early version of the song was first recorded in 1945 by Yao Lee and her brother Yao Min, a famous singer, according to Mothership.
Listen to it below via YouTube:
Yao Lee’s greatest hits include “Rose, Rose, I Love You (玫瑰玫瑰我愛你),” which was also written by Gexin.
Here is the full English translation of “Gong Xi Gong Xi”:
15ba
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Khier Casino

      Khier Casino is a contributor at NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.