Yang Wenxiang
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Yang Wenxiang, Male, Han, from Jinghai, Tianjin, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Denggan (Ⅵ-106). The tradition is documented in Jinghai, Tianjin. Within the regional tradition and school record of Denggan in Jinghai, Tianjin: Daliufen Village pole-climbing is passed down in the area of Daliufen Village, Taitou Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin. It took shape during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and has been transmitted for nearly 300 years, with a documented lineage of seven generations; the Daliufen Village Committee of Taitou Town, Jinghai District, Tianjin serves as the protecting unit, and the Daliufen Village Pole-Climbing Sacred Association undertakes the transmission and protection of the project. The core prop, the dragon pole, is made of bamboo, 14 centimeters in diameter and 6.8 meters high, fixed at the base by a wooden pole block, with twelve thick ropes attached to its lower part that are wrapped around the waists of twelve people so that together they can exert force to hold the pole steady; at the top of the dragon pole is a small iron hoop called the "pole hoop," and below the pole hoop is a 1.4-meter-long horizontal iron bar known as the ganxin (pole bar). During performances, the performers, in matching costumes, climb barefoot with hands and feet together to the accompaniment of gongs and drums; a single overall director below the pole handles coordination and arrangement, while the performers above strike formations in groups of one, two, or three to ten people. It took shape during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and has been passed down for nearly 300 years. The association began during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, and the lineage of transmission, as far as can be documented, runs for seven generations.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Yang Wenxiang is anchored in the documented technical standards of Denggan in Jinghai, Tianjin. Within the documented technical tradition of Denggan in Jinghai, Tianjin: Daliufen Village pole-climbing (denggan) is a communal folk traditional sport and acrobatic performance tradition passed down in Jinghai District, Tianjin. According to popular legend, in a year of severe drought when the people had nothing to live on, the Little White Dragon went up to heaven to pray for rain on their behalf; after it died, its bones fell to the ground and turned into the "dragon pole." The villagers created the pole-climbing technique by imitating the Little White Dragon's ascent to heaven. The core prop of Daliufen Village pole-climbing is the dragon pole; in performance, the dragon pole, the pole block, the iron hoop, and the iron core pin together constitute the performance space. The dragon pole used by the pole-climbing association is made of bamboo, 14 centimeters in diameter and 6.8 meters high; at its base is a wooden pole block that fixes the pole in place. Twelve thick ropes are attached to the lower part of the dragon pole; they are wrapped around the waists of twelve people so that together they can exert force to hold the pole steady. At the top of the dragon pole is a small iron hoop called the "pole hoop"; below the pole hoop is a horizontal iron bar 1.4 meters long, known as the ganxin (pole bar). During the performance, the performers, in matching costumes, climb barefoot with hands and feet together to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, striking different poses and formations on the pole hoop, the ganxin, and the various parts of the dragon pole. A single overall director below the pole is responsible for coordinating and arranging the performers' movements. The performers each have their own special skills for going up and down the pole, and the performance features group formations of one, two, or three to ten people. Among them, the shooting-star trick at the top of the pole is the most breathtaking; more than seventy movements, such as Pedaling Duck, Donkey Roll, and Shedding the Immortal's Robe, each have their own attraction. No protective equipment is used in Daliufen Village pole-climbing; once the dragon pole is raised, it is held up purely by human strength, making the performance thrilling, extraordinary, and far-reaching in meaning. Its activities follow strict codes of conduct; before each performance there are ritual ceremonies of worshiping the Medicine King and praying for safety, and there are customs and rules forbidding women from taking part. The performance emphasizes teamwork and mutual care, which is of positive significance for promoting the spirit of collectivism, building a "beautiful new countryside," and strengthening village cohesion. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "The dragon pole": The core prop is a bamboo pole fourteen centimetres thick and 6.8 metres tall, socketed into a wooden base. "Base ropes and the twelve bearers": Twelve thick ropes lashed to twelve men's waists hold the pole upright with no other safety device. "The ring and the crossbar": A small iron ring crowns the pole with a 1.4-metre crossbar beneath it, the points on which performers take their poses. "Meteor play at the top": The most perilous item, performed at the very top of the pole alongside such celebrated routines as duck-kicking and immortal doffing his robe.
The dragon pole
The core prop is a bamboo pole fourteen centimetres thick and 6.8 metres tall, socketed into a wooden base.
Base ropes and the twelve bearers
Twelve thick ropes lashed to twelve men's waists hold the pole upright with no other safety device.
The ring and the crossbar
A small iron ring crowns the pole with a 1.4-metre crossbar beneath it, the points on which performers take their poses.
Meteor play at the top
The most perilous item, performed at the very top of the pole alongside such celebrated routines as duck-kicking and immortal doffing his robe.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Yang Wenxiang was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Denggan, with Jinghai, Tianjin as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Denggan in Jinghai, Tianjin: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2021 (batch 5), with Jinghai, Tianjin as its declared area, and Tianjin Jinghai District Taitouzhendaliufencun Village Committee as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.
04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier
Historical origin
It took shape during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty and has been passed down for nearly 300 years. The association began during the Qianlong reign of the Qing dynasty, and the lineage of transmission, as far as can be documented, runs for seven generations.
05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage
National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yang Wenxiang | Jinghai, Tianjin | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。