Lantern Dance
01 · Historical Records
In 1628, Li Banghua of Gucun Village was appointed Minister of War.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Jishui ao fish lantern is a folk dance transmitted for several hundred years in Gucun Village, Pangu Town, Jishui County, Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province. Jishui County has a long history and a splendid culture, and is honoured as "a land of literary distinction and righteous conduct, a home of operatic and lantern arts". Gucun Village lies in the northwest of Jishui County, more than 30 kilometres from the county seat, and is the largest village in Jiangxi Province. At a time when peasant uprisings were gathering momentum and Qing troops beyond the pass were covetously watching, Li Banghua sent his family back to his home town so that he could devote himself wholeheartedly to commanding the army. Emperor Chongzhen was moved by his loyalty and bestowed the ao mountain lantern display upon Li Banghua's family to enjoy, and from that time on this project was handed down in Gucun Village. The Jishui ao fish lantern dance consists of four lantern dances combined together, the ao fish, the qilin, the lion and the yellow dragon, signifying peace and auspiciousness through the four seasons. It is grand and elegant in manner, with the unmistakable character of court art. Each of the four kinds of lantern is made in two sections, called "four kinds and eight sections", and is made of bamboo strips, coloured paper, wooden handles, cloth pieces, hemp rope and the like, joined into shape with fabrics in light blue, pink, orange-yellow and deep purple respectively. The ao fish lantern performance includes such episodes as the coiled dragon, the circling ring, treading the four gates, stepping the zigzag, raising the dragon, striking the dragon, pole-stepping, passing the dragon and playing with the pearl; it enacts the mythological story of the qilin, the lion, the carp and the yellow dragon, which, in the course of seeking the dragon gate, frolicking at the dragon gate and leaping the dragon gate, pass through bewilderment, seeking and striving and finally succeed in leaping over the dragon gate and are transformed into the divine beast ao fish, which is formed of a dragon head, a qilin body, lion legs and a carp tail. In performance, eight young and robust men control the sections, the ao fish being paired with the qilin and the lion being matched with the yellow dragon; the full set of movements is completed according to the procedures of treading the four gates, striking the dragon, weaving the wall, pole-stepping and leaping the dragon gate, the figures chasing and romping with one another, leaping and tumbling. When the lanterns are shown, they are accompanied by gong, drum and suona. The lantern dancers dance to the rhythm, with rise and fall well modulated and fast and slow well matched; at times swift as a gale with sudden rain, at times calm as flat water, at times fierce as a tiger coming down the mountain, at times light and nimble; the rhythm is bright and clear, the manner grand and impressive, and it has strong artistic appeal. At every Spring Festival comes the time of the lantern gathering of Gucun Village; from the first day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the ao fish lantern goes through the lanes and into household after household, tumbling and dancing, praying for a bountiful harvest of the five grains, entreating wealth and auspiciousness, and extolling prosperity and flourishing. The Jishui ao fish lantern has a long history, a broad popular base, rich festival occasions and complete performance routines, and it has distinctive artistic character.
Four kinds, eight sections
The dance combines turtle-fish, qilin, lion and yellow dragon lanterns, each in two sections - four kinds, eight sections - built from bamboo, paper, wood, cloth and hemp.
Treading the gates, striking the dragon, weaving the wall
Eight young men carry the sections in pairs through the sequence of treading the four gates, striking the dragon, weaving the wall, planting the stance and leaping the dragon gate.
The individual episodes
The episodes include coiling, circling, treading the zigzag, raising and striking the dragon, passing it on and teasing the pearl, telling how the beasts leap the gate and become the turtle-fish.
The Chongzhen emperor's gift
In 1628 the native son Li Banghua became minister of war; the Chongzhen emperor rewarded his loyalty with an aoshan lantern set, and the dance has been kept in the village since.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Jishui ao fish lantern is concentrated in Gucun Village, Pangu Town, Jishui County; Gucun lies in the northwest of Jishui, more than thirty kilometres from the county seat, and is the largest village in Jiangxi Province. The lantern teams are grouped by kind of lantern, the ao fish, the qilin, the lion and the yellow dragon, with eight young and robust men controlling the sections; the ao fish is paired with the qilin and the lion matched with the yellow dragon, and the full set of movements is completed by the procedures of treading the four gates, striking the dragon, weaving the wall, pole-stepping and leaping the dragon gate. Locally it is transmitted in two ways in parallel, through families and through master-apprentice lineages; from the first day to the fifteenth day of the first lunar month the procession goes through the lanes and into household after household, offering congratulations door by door.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Jishui ao fish lantern is a traditional dance form unique to Gucun Village, handed down from generation to generation mainly through families and through master-apprentice lineages. As protection work has advanced, today the inheritors can be seen in the fields and gardens, the parks and school grounds, the communities and scenic areas of Jishui. Protecting and transmitting this precious cultural heritage has positive significance for studying the emergence, evolution and development history of Ming-dynasty court lantern art, for enriching the cultural life of the masses, for carrying forward traditional culture and for promoting social harmony.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Chen Jinwen 03-0930
- Wu Guanqiu 03-0931
- Wuqifu 03-0932
- Guo Bingqiang 05-2253
- Yang Senfang 05-2254
- Huang Jiehai 05-2255
- Ren Juntang 05-2256
- Deng Jianmin 05-2257
- Shi Qing 05-2258
- Chen Wenshi
- He Wu
- Shi Guanbin
- Yang Hairen
- Mao Mingkang
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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