The Dong people are one of the ethnic minorities with a long history in southern China. During the long period of labor and production, the hard-working and frugal Dong people have formed their own national music culture with unique local characteristics. As the most representative form of Dong music, Dong folk songs show unique charm in the music culture of ethnic minorities in my country with its diverse forms, beautiful tunes and rich connotations. Due to regional differences, the Dong people are divided into Southern Dong and Northern Dong. This article mainly elaborates on the specific types of Dong folk songs in the north and south, and makes a simple analysis of the style characteristics of the two from the perspectives of mode, harmony, and rhythm.

The Dong people (Gaeml in Dong language) are an ethnic minority in China. The residential areas are mainly at the junction of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. There are also some Dong people in Enshi, Hubei. The total population of the Dong people was 2.96 million (the 5th census in 2000). In the 6th census in 2010, the population of the Dong people was 2.87 million. The population decreased by nearly 100,000 in ten years.

The name of the Dong people comes from "Xidong", which is the traditional administrative unit of the local people. Today there are many places named "dong" in the local area. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, these local residents were collectively referred to as the Dong ethnic group.