Listening to the Family: Soundscapes of Family Rituals, Family Memory, and Intergenerational Change in China Since 1978

Since 1978, social transformations in China have reshaped musical practices in family rituals. This study focuses on ritual soundscapes in North China, examining how “sonic heritage” is formed and transmitted through intergenerational memory. Through interviews and literature review, it analyzes narratives of wedding, funeral, and ancestral ritual sounds. Findings show that repeated practice and emotional accumulation transform ritual sounds into family heritage. Although generational differences exist in memory content, emotional identification, and interpretation, these differences do not cause rupture but are continuously negotiated and reconstructed through ongoing ritual practices within family and community contexts.