Yuefu Ballads: Folk Epic and Narrative Soul of Ancient China

💡 Core Idea: "Moved by sorrow and joy, prompted by real events." Yuefu captures the heartbeat, laments, and triumphs of ordinary people.

Originally an imperial Music Bureau established by Emperor Wu of Han to collect regional folk songs, *Yuefu* evolved into a beloved poetic genre celebrated for compelling characterization, dialogue, and narrative storytelling (e.g. *The Ballad of Mulan*).