"April 8" marks the champion singer festival for She nationality in Ruiyun. It originated from an ancient legend --

During the Spring and Autumn period, Chu State had two champion singers, one known as Zhong Qi (i.e. Zhong Ziqi) and the other as Zhong Yi. Boya, a musician, was good at play the stringed instrument. The tunes "Dahe (大喝 in Chinese)" and "Xiaohe (小喝 in Chinese)" had deep rhyme and harmonious melody, like flowing water from high mountains, rendering the essence of the nature. Unfortunately, nobody could recognize, understand and accompany with his tunes. In an unexpected encounter, Zhong Qi listened to Boya's play and surprisingly followed his melody. Since it is rather hard to find a faithful friend, after Zhong Ziqi's death, Boya stopped playing since then. This above is the story about Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi passed on for thousands of years. Later, Zhong Yi passed on the playing skills of Boya and Zhong Ziqi. To commemorate these two champion singers, decedents of She nationality will set up altars for sacrifice and hold singing party to sing "Dahe" and "Xiaohe" left by their ancestors. Besides, they also regard this day as a traditional festival of She -- Champion Singer Festival on "April 8".

With genes adept at singing, She people would make singing dialogues with other She people once they encounter in spite of whomever they are. Some are good at immediately singing and can sing a song based on what they see. To do this, the singer has to have higher level and it is known as "Santiao (散条 ini Chinese) by She people. Such a singing mode is known as "Biducai (比肚才 in Chinese). To use a common expression, it is to compare who is much more knowledgeable and literate. When they go to mountains for farming, they make musical dialogues with each other so as to relax themselves and seek interest. In case of a man and a woman, they would extend the singing contents to romance. When a young man encounters a young and beautiful She girl, he would take the initiative to show his excellent singing ability with increasing passion. Some people call Shexiang the sea of songs and thus She songs as folk songs accordingly. Ruiyun Singing Party on "April 8" is developed gradually on such a basis.

Singing She songs is the dominant part on "April 8". In the long-term labor practices, She people sublime their experience and recognition in production and life into simple songs and pass on them orally generation by generation. She people sing songs immediately as they want without any accompaniment of musical instruments. As they utter the lyrics and tunes, a harmonious integral will be presented. The melody of Ruiyun She belongs to "Fuding melody". However, owing to bordering both Fuding and Xiapu and affected by local dialects, there are certain differences in tone with that of other She people. One can recognize where the singer comes from only by identifying the tune. Ruiyun She songs have rich contents and diversified forms, including labor songs, political songs, customs songs, love songs, life songs, novel songs and ritual songs, etc. Further, each major category falls into several small types.

Ruiyun Singing Party on April 8 has been included in the List of National Nonmaterial Cultural Heritage.