Wang Moda - a simple, illiterate Li woman from the backwaters of Hainan’s Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County, was blessed with prodigious talents. Hailed as the ‘Queen of Li Folk Song’ and Hainan’s ‘Liu Sanjie’ and designated as a national inheritor of Li Folk Song, this little old lady had an astounding memory, being able to sing almost 1,000 songs from memory and being intimately familiar with over 30 styles of Li ditty -- she could even craft impromptu songs, taking inspiration from the people and happenings around her. Though she is no longer with us, her memory lives on through her music and the lives she touched.

Wang Moda came into the world at the beginning of the 20th century, somewhere at the foot of Limu Mountain. Her early years were marred by poverty, war, and hunger. At the age of 20, she lost the love of her life, but the trials and tribulations of her hard life never got the better of her. She had a natural love of song and would sing wherever she was to whomever was there. It was this love of singing, that came from the depths of her soul, that saw her through the hard times, and would eventually lead to her recognition. She represented Hainan twice - first in 1979, and again in 2007 - at cultural art events in Beijing, giving the gift of Hainan Folk Song to those present. She also won high praise at a national level, being awarded the “Outstanding Cultural Contribution” award by China’s Ministry of Culture, and becoming one of the first people in China to be awarded the title “Elite Inheritor of Chinese Folk Culture” by the Chinese Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association.

In this installment of Hainan Stories with Cai Pa, we follow Wang Moda’s path, laid out in songs and the memories of those who knew her, to the foot of Limu Mountain in Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County, where we visit her village home and reminisce with her granddaughter. We also explore “I’ll Sing If You Ask Me”, a song by Wang Moda, the raw energy of which paints a picture of optimism, confidence, and courage. Cai Pa’s soulful interpretation of this stands as a tribute to Wang Moda, a true star of her generation and the pride of Hainan.