[3][4] Lü Xiaomin is a daughter of peasants of the Hui minority born in 1970,[5] who converted to Christianity.

[3] Lü's theological background is in Pentecostalism and the local churches movement, and the hymns reflect themes of Christology, pneumatology and eschatology against the backdrop of Chinese political realities.

Even people with little education can learn the hymns, which are short and musically simple, usually rhymed, and resemble Chinese folk songs.

A 1999 issue of its Tian Feng magazine scrutinized the hymn 195, "Lord, Have Mercy on China, Hold Back Your Anger", in particular for questioning the Movement's view of Christianity in service of Chinese socialism.

[3] Her life story and the hymns are inseparable in publicity, reflecting a holiness theology on part of the movement.

[7] The 2012 Chinese film Back to 1942 featured the Canaan hymn "The River of Life" as its theme song.

The hymn "I Love My Home" has also appeared on China Central Television,[16][17] sung by a Christian family,[16] despite the channel's reputation as propaganda of the officially atheist state.

[11] My Lord leads me into His gates Our loving words flow endlessly Our love is as strong as death Many waters cannot quench it My Lord is radiant Outstanding among all others I am His and He is mine We will never part He takes me to the fields He takes me to the vineyards He feeds His flock among the lilies I am with Him forever The Canaan hymns are short,[9] pentatonic and resemble Chinese folk songs.

[21] They are "genuinely inculturated hymns, with a folk lilt, Chinese harmonics, and an imagery that blends rural China with biblical themes".

[22] The lyrics of the hymns are theologically mindful of a tension between China's political realities and aspirations of Chinese Christians.

[25] Canaan hymns also exhibit the "Three self principles" that are central to Chinese Protestantism, "self-governance, self-reliance, and self-propagation", often supplemented with a fourth one: "ingeniousness".