Introduction: Chapter One 1.1 The cradle of Chinese civilization 1.2 1.2. The battleground 1.3. The New Frontier: Massive Migration 1.4. The Land of Cultural Hybrid 1.5. The Land of Rebellion 1.6. The Cradle of Chinese Revolution Chapter Two: The Formation of Shanbei Folksongs 2.1. Hill-climbing tune 2.2. Mongol-Han tune 2.3. Revolutionary Folksongs Chapter Three: Topical Themes of Shanbei Folksongs 3.1. Labor 3.2 Local Folklore and Custom 3.3 Love Chapter Four: Characteristics of Shanbei Folksongs 4.1. What is "Rave at Will?" 4.2. The Internal Structure of "Rave at Will" 4.3. The Connection between Shanbei Folksongs and Classic of Poetry 4.4. The Musicality of Shanbei Folksongs Chapter Five: Conclusion Appendix: Seventeen Selected Shanbei Folksongs