Culturally, Jiangsu Province is characterized by "Wuyun Hanfeng" (literally, the appeal of south of the Yangtze River and the flavor of the Han Dynasty). In terms of the folk song, the characteristics are embodied in Wu songs of south Jiangsu and Chu songs of north Jiangsu. The two are totally different from each other. Wu songs are prevailing in Suzhou, Wuxi, Changzhou and Gaochun County of Nanjing. Of all the places, they are the most popular in Suzhou. "Coquettish" is recognized as the major feature of Wu songs. In contrast, Chu songs, popular in north Jiangsu Province, boast a bold and uninhibited style. Wu and Chu songs converge in Lixia River Basin in central Jiangsu, which, with Gaoyou as its center, includes Baoying, Xinghua, and radiates to Jiangdu and Yizheng. This terrain of Yangtze and Huaihe Rivers is known as the intersection of north and south Jiangsu, where Xiajiang dialect is spoken. In Chinese history, northern and southern cultures converged here, with fresh elements of folk songs constantly gathered and replenished. Gaoyou has thus been developed into an unprecedentedly prosperous "Land of Songs." Gaoyou folk songs are prevailing in the production and life of people from Gaoyou Lake and Lixia River basins. They mainly consist of work chants, ditties, love songs, various ballads concerning life and customs, children's songs, and antiphonal songs. With beautiful and simple melodies, as well as sweet and light-hearted rhythms, Gaoyou folk songs have a strong flavor of the water village in Lixia River basin.
According to the existing information, "San Xianhuadiao" (literally, free flower tune), popular in Gaoyou, is one type of sacrificial songs which ancient people in north Jiangsu sang when exorcizing ghosts. It is called "Village Shaman". Dated back to the record in the Analects, it has a history of over two thousand years. Qin Shaoyou, a famous ci poet, and Wang Pan, a master of non-dramatic songs, were both born in Gaoyou. Not only did scholars like them derive rich nourishment from folk songs, but their widely-spread works also contributed to enhancing the recreation of folk songs. Moreover, famous scholars like Pu Songling, once a posthouse official of Gaoyou, participated in creating folk songs directly or indirectly, which enriched the meaning of Gaoyou folk songs while enhancing their tastes. In Zhangjiazhuang of Gaoyou, there is a rice-transplantation chant, the tune of which is entitled Xiliang music and the first line of which goes, "I cannot help crying at the sight of my elder sister". The lyrics of the chant derive from Hanging branches, an anthology by Feng Menglong in the Ming Dynasty. Besides, in Pu Songling's local poems, a number of tunes share the same names with some folk songs which are now still popular in Gaoyou, such as "Tumbler Oar" and "The Foldedly Broken Bridge" Therefore, Gaoyou and its surrounding areas have logically become a fertile land for creating folk songs.