Taige
01 · Historical Records
Taige (raised pavilions) originated from deity-welcoming festival gatherings in the Central Plains region, and later spread to the southeastern coast and the northwestern region; it was highly popular for a time during the Qing dynasty, and in the course of its transmission it combined with local conditions in different places, developing distinct characteristics. Naoge is a kind of folk shehuo (festival festivity) beloved by the people of the Hohhot region of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Inner Mongolian naoge was introduced from northern Jin (northern Shanxi) in the mid-Qing dynasty and has undergone more than three hundred years of development and evolution; among it, the naoge of Bikeqi Town, Tumed Left Banner, is the most famous.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Taige — also called 'taijiao' (raised corners), 'taige' (raised songs), 'gaotai' (high raises), 'naoge' (挠阁), 'naoge' (脑阁, head-borne pavilions), and 'gaozhuang' (high displays) — is a folk procession performance form in traditional festival activities. In a taige performance, several children dressed as ancient-costumed opera figures are arranged into elaborate tableaux according to the plot, fixed to iron pillars and brackets on a square pavilion, which bearers carry as they walk. Traditional taige tableaux are mostly drawn from plays such as The Butterfly Lovers, The Marriage of the Heavenly Fairy (Tianxian pei), The Legend of the White Snake, Journey to the West, Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier, The Blue Bridge Meeting, The Yellow Crane Tower, and The Fisherman's Revenge (Daiyu sha jia). The tableaux stand about 3 to 5 meters high, and the pavilions have three to five tiers, generally with one person per tier; some have four on the bottom tier, five or six in the middle tier, and one on the top tier. In a taige procession, four pavilions are generally used, and at most six or even eight may be used, each carried forward by four or eight bearers. Taige fuses painting, opera, colored paper craft, and paper sculpture into one, with elegant forms and spectacular scenes; it is loved by the broad masses and has long remained prevalent among the people. Naoge is generally performed by a combination of an adult and a child: the adult below wears an iron frame on the upper body, called the 'sejiao' (color foot); the child 'carried above' is likewise fixed with an iron frame, called the 'sexin' (color core). The person 'carrying' below must keep his waist straight; twisting, trembling, swaying, walking, dancing, and rotating are the characteristics of his movements — in twisting, all the force is applied below the knee to the lower leg, and in the course of moving he must carry the child above along in the swaying. The young performers are generally chosen from pretty boys and girls of three to eight years old; after putting on brightly colored costumes they are made up as various historical or opera figures, further decorated with flowers, plants, and colorful clouds; the adult holds up the back of their heads and their arms, and they dance naturally to the clanging rhythms of gongs and drums, appearing lively, lovely, and genuinely moving. Naoge in the Inner Mongolia region has a wide range of subjects and rich content, including myths and folk legends such as The Butterfly Lovers, The Marriage of the Heavenly Fairy (Tianxian pei), The Legend of the White Snake, and Journey to the West, as well as stories expressing the history and culture of the Inner Mongolia region such as Zhaojun Goes Beyond the Frontier. Naoge is a combination of grassland culture and Yellow River culture; it integrates drama, acrobatics, fine art, dance, and music, displaying the profound heritage of Yellow River culture and distinct ethnic characteristics. For many years, naoge — symbolizing auspiciousness, joy, and peace — has become one of the important folk activities enjoyed by the people of all ethnic groups in Inner Mongolia. On every festive day, folk artists set up their naoge and take to the streets, expressing through moving tableaux and stories the longing and love of the people of all ethnic groups for a better life.
The colour-foot and colour-core
An adult wears the iron frame as the colour-foot while the child held above, fixed in a frame of his own, is the colour-core.
Power from the calf downward
The bearer keeps his waist straight and drives every twist from the calves, carrying the child above along.
Costuming children of three to eight
Children of three to eight are dressed in bright costumes as historical or opera figures, trimmed with flowers and clouds.
The naoge of Bikqiqi town
Introduced from northern Shanxi in the mid-Qing, it has evolved for over three centuries, best known at Bikqiqi.
Children who ride the naoge are blessed
Locals say a child who rides the frame stays healthy and lucky; nao means to hoist something onto the shoulder.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The 'nao' in naoge is a dialect word of parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, meaning to lift something up and carry it on the shoulder. According to local folk belief, any child who has appeared on a naoge will enjoy health, happiness, peace, and good fortune throughout life.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
With the acceleration of modernization, taige activities are gradually declining, and a situation has arisen in rural areas in which the craft of making taige has no successors; related rescue and protection work is extremely urgent.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Zhao Yunshan 03-1478
- Zhang Genzhi 03-1479
- Liu Wenchang 03-1480
- Zhong Yuwen 03-1481
- Fu Hengyu 03-1482
- Deng Junchao 03-1483
- Liu Duanfu 03-1484
- Li Ming 03-1485
- Peng Niangyao 03-1486
- Chen Fanxing 04-1976
- Tan Haobin 04-1977
- Gongsun Xin 04-1978
- Li Fuxian 04-1979
- Gao Yumin 05-3029
- Hao Laixi 05-3030
- Yao Ruming 05-3031
- Li Yangbo 05-3032
- Liu Qiyue 05-3033
- Liang Erdun 05-3034
- Hu Liangang
- Chen Wenshan
- Sun Kangfu
- Zhou Xingguang
- Huang Xuejun
- Zhang Guoqin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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