Hongzehuyugu

01 · Historical Records

Hongze Lake Yugu, also called “beat the Duan drum” or “Duan drum dance”, is a form that combines narrative singing with dance. In its early days it was performed by spirit mediums of the Hongze Lake area when they burned large sheets of paper money to fulfil a vow on behalf of fishermen, or while holding sacrifices at an altar; it shares a common origin with the Duan drum tune style. A performance follows a strict sequence — opening the altar, displaying the drum, bowing at the altar, and sacrificing to the gods — and only then moves into the formal singing. The singing texts are mostly long narrative stories, and the principal tune patterns are “rang shen zhou” (chanting spirit incantations) and “nian fo ji” (reciting the Buddha’s names). From the Qing dynasty onward, Yugu moved out of the sacrificial altar and into the New Year and lineage activities of the fishing villages, and its repertoire came to include themes of labour and of celebrating a good harvest.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Hongze Lake Yugu, also called “beat the Duan drum” or “Duan drum dance”, is a dance form that combines narrative singing with dance, performed in the early Hongze Lake area by spirit mediums who burned large sheets of paper money to fulfil vows for fishermen or who held sacrificial rites at altars. It circulates widely in Sihong County of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, and in the townships and villages along the lake, as well as in Hongze County of Huai’an City; the Weishan Lake area of Shandong Province also has the custom of singing the Duan drum tune style. Hongze Lake Yugu performances are mostly held on the surface of the lake, with two large boats lashed together to serve as the stage, while the audience watches from their own boats. The backdrop of the altar (stage) is hung with images of various deities and with patterns decorated in paper-cut work. Performances on land additionally hang a divine banner on a flagpole. In performance there is a strict sequence of “opening the altar”, “displaying the drum”, “bowing at the altar” and “sacrificing to the gods”. In the performance that follows, the artist holds a single-headed goatskin drum in the left hand and strikes the drumhead with a thin bamboo slip in the right hand, shaking the drum handle at the same time so that the iron rings on the handle strike one another and clatter noisily, accompanying the singing with a distinctive musical effect. The dance steps include “Shangyang leg”, “scissors step”, “twin riding the clouds”, “white goose shows its wings”, “threading the flowers”, “walking the round stage” and “walking the lantern”; the formations developed later include “double row of willows”, “celebrating reunion”, “peacock displaying its tail”, “wild geese flying south” and “a netful of grain”. The steps of Hongze Lake Yugu are light and swaying and of small amplitude; the dancer usually rises on both feet and steps in time with the drum, the upper body swaying with the hull of the boat, as if the boat were moving through the water. When movements simulating labour are performed — hauling in the net, dipping the net, drawing in the net, and the joy of a successful catch — they are matched respectively with medium-speed drumbeats, fast drumbeats, and drumbeats combining strong and weak strokes, so that one climax follows another. Representative works include more than ten plays such as “Liu Wenlong Goes to Take the Examination”, “Zhang Lang Divorces His Wife”, “Wei Zheng Beheads the Little Dragon”, “Tang Wang Tours the Underworld” and “Nezha Stirs Up the Sea”; the principal tune patterns are “rang shen zhou” and “nian fo ji”.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Hongze Lake Yugu circulates widely in Sihong County of Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, and in the relevant townships and villages along the lake, as well as in Hongze County of Huai’an City, while the Weishan Lake area of Shandong Province also has the custom of singing the Duan drum tune style; the Sihong County Cultural Centre is responsible for the protection of this project within the county. Performances are mostly held on the surface of the lake, with two large boats lashed together to serve as the stage while the audience watches from their own boats; the backdrop of the altar (stage) is hung with images of various deities and with patterns decorated in paper-cut work, and performances on land hang a divine banner on a flagpole. The dance steps are light and swaying and of small amplitude; the dancer usually rises on both feet and steps in time with the drum, the upper body swaying with the hull of the boat, as if the boat were moving through the water.

Other submitting regions for the same item: Hongzehuyugu.

04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Hongze Lake Yugu reflects the aesthetic tastes of the fishermen of the Hongze Lake area in different periods, and bears witness to the political, economic and cultural development of the lake region. It carries the memories of production and daily life of the lake’s fishermen and records a great deal of the region’s cultural information. The performances lay emphasis on teaching the people of the lake region to do good deeds, to act kindly and to treat nature well; their function of moral instruction is strong, and they have played an important part in establishing and transmitting the plain, honest customs of the region.

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Hongzehuyugu (Sihong, Jiangsu) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗