These melodies, called chin-ke, were sung in the southern Fukienese dialect. Most were seven character folk songs which aptly expressed the feelings of the early immigrants as they settled and cleared land for planting.
「錦歌」是一種以閩南語念唱、歌詞多半為七字一句的民謠，原是先民在開疆拓土時，感於生活喜樂悲苦，發抒感懷的即興創作。