Yangge Dance

01 · Historical Records

Yangge has a long history. Among the folk dance troupes described by Zhou Mi of the Southern Song in his Wulin Jiushi (Old Events of the Wulin) there is already a record of cuntian le ("village field music"); the Xinnian Zayong Chao (Selected New Year Verses) by Wu Xilin of the Qing dynasty states explicitly the lineage between the yangge that survives today and the Song-dynasty cuntian le. Fushun ground yangge took shape in the early Qing dynasty and has been transmitted down to the present. Historical records show that there was already a dance called "ta chui" (treading hammers) in the Tang dynasty, and that in the Ming dynasty there were song-and-dance pieces called "mang shi"; these had a certain formative influence on Fushun ground yangge. Fushun ground yangge has been circulating in the Fushun area since the Qing dynasty and is deeply loved by the masses.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Yangge is a collective term for a highly popular and representative genre of Chinese folk dance (chiefly in the north); different regions have their own names, styles and forms. In folk usage the term divides into two: the version performed on stilts is called "gaqiao yangge" (stilt yangge), and the version performed without stilts is called "di yangge" (ground yangge). The term "yangge" as used in modern times usually refers to "di yangge". In most places today yangge takes the form of a yangge troupe; a troupe numbers at least a dozen or so people and at times as many as a hundred. There are group dances as well as two-person and three-person dances and many other performance formats; according to the needs of the role the performers hold the appropriate props — handkerchief, umbrella, sticks, drum, coin-whip and the like — and dance freely to the accompaniment of gongs, drums, suona and other wind and percussion instruments. The dancing methods, movements and styles of yangge differ from place to place: some are imposing and heroic, others gentle and charming — a dazzling variety that never fails to delight. Yangge is one of the most representative folk dance genres in northern China. It is at once performative and self-amusing, entertaining the performers as much as the audience, and is deeply loved by ordinary people. Every region has produced some representative folk yangge artists, and many folk artists have played an important part in building the dance undertaking of the People's Republic of China. It has a direct lineage in the folk dances of the Manchu ancestors. The most representative characters in Fushun ground yangge are the "dazi guan" dressed in Manchu banner costume, and the "kelitu" (commonly called "wai dazi") wearing nothing but a sheepskin coat and slinging diagonally over the shoulder bells and various implements of life and hunting. The movements of the performance largely derive from the productive life of the Manchus in their original state — galloping on horseback, shooting the bow, fighting in battle — and some imitate the movements of eagles, tigers and bears; many of them contain elements of traditional dance. The crouching, stamping, coiling, swaying and trembling postures of the yangge movements are rich, vigorous and uninhibited, bearing the distinctive colouring of fishing and hunting life and of the fighting life of the Eight Banners. Its accompanying music borrows the percussion forms of the Manchu shamanic rite of spirit-summoning, with playing patterns such as "lao san dian", "qi bang" and "kuai gu dian", which differ greatly from Han Chinese yangge. Fushun ground yangge has circulated in the folk for a very long time. Because of changes in the environment and the shrinking number of old artists, regular Fushun ground yangge activities are now difficult to carry out, and the parade formations and movements of the performance also tend to be gradually simplified; it is on the verge of disappearing and needs strong support.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Fushun ground yangge, sometimes also called "dazi yangge", is a form of folk dance of long formation with an extremely strong national character and local colour, circulating mainly in the area around Fushun in Liaoning Province, the cradle of the Manchu people.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Today, with the rapid development of the rural economy and the consequent change in the cultural environment, folk artists who still master traditional yangge skills and authentic dance style have become as rare as morning stars; protection and transmission are urgent. According to a 1986 survey there were still 50 active yangge troupes at that time, but at present only four troupes have a relatively clear origin and a documented line of transmission.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

• Zhou Hehua 02-0332
• Yu Zhenjiang 02-0333
• Yang Kesheng 02-0334
• Wu Yingmin 02-0335
• Wang Fa 02-0336
• Juhongjun 02-0337
• Li Zengheng 02-0338
• He Junyi 03-0899
• Yao Daxin 03-0900
• Zhao Fengling 04-1541
• Qin Mengyu 04-1542
• Ding Shisuo 05-2182
• Sheng Yubin 05-2183
• Yu Xin 05-2184
• Wei Jianming 05-2185
• Liu Jianping
• Xiujianguo
• Lizhangxi
• Ba Hengjin
• Zhao Chenghai
• Wang Yuanqing
• Song Jianliang
• Yuan Guilin

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

1. Yangge Dance (Fushun, Liaoning) · China ICH Official Project Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗