Nanxi work songs are popular in the Tujia ethnic group in Qianjiang District, Chongqing. They are mostly improvised, but their tunes and pattern of singing are generally fixed. There are over ten tunes, and the basic pattern of singing goes like this: one man sings the lead vocal, two or three other men sing the high notes, then three or more sing the low notes, and all the other people around them have to drop in their voices to assist the group singing. Thus there comes a harmonious interaction between the high notes, middle notes and low notes, and a heavenly tune that long echoes through the mountains and fields. Nanxi work songs recount the history, geography and folk tales of the Tujia Minority, and offer a wealth of information on Tujia culture. With their unique style in singing, as a mirror of the Tujia music and culture, they are of high artistic value.

In May 2006, the State Council of the P.R.C. approved listing Nanxi work songs among the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.

National-level representative inheritor: Yang Zhengze

Municipal-level representative inheritors: Feng Guangxiang & Li Shaojun