Folk artist aces 'two strong men' wrestling

Women can do anything if they are not bashful, says Wang Shufang, emphatically.

She should know. Wang, 47, is the only woman to perform the Erkui, or "two strong men", wrestling, which is a feature of Yangge Chinese folk opera common in Huairou district of Beijing.

"I don't feel embarrassed when I wallow on the floor to practice this wrestling," says Wang, dusting her pants. In Erkui wrestling, one person plays the role of two people wrestling one another.

Carrying two fake human torsos made of cloth and wood on her back, Wang hides herself in long robes and wears a pair of boots on her hands to make them appear like one set of feet. Her real feet wear another pair of boots to show the other pair. She then contorts her hands, feet and body to make it appear like two people are wrestling.

This traditional Manchu folk performance, that dates back 300 years, is popular in Maoshan village, a Manchu village at the north end of Beijing. Wang is currently training 20 women of her village for the upcoming Huairou Tanghechuan Folk Custom and Culture Festival to be held from this Saturday.

Far from the courtyard of the village committee can be heard loud Yangge music as Wang puts the women through the paces on a huge red carpet. During a break in the practice, several red but cheerful faces stick out of the colorful robes. Most of them are around 40 and some look over 50.

"As soon as Wang announced that she was looking to put together a troupe to perform at the festival, more than 50 women applied", says Xing Jing, a village official. "It's a pity we have only 20 available slots."

They all come for the fun, and no one asks for payment. "If people perform for money, they will not enjoy themselves and also feel pressured to get something back," says Wang in her strong Northeast Chinese accent.

Wang is highly regarded by the locals, not only for her talent in entertaining, but also for the role she plays in resolving disputes and difficulties.

As head of the village women's federation, Wang is also responsible for promoting local environment protection, family planning and preserving folk culture.

In 2003, she and 10 other villagers donated 5,500 yuan ($800) to set up a Yangge troupe. To raise money, she sold her pig for 500 yuan ($70) and asked every family in the village to donate. "People responded enthusiastically although some of them could contribute less than 1 yuan," she recalls with a smile.

They then bought the props needed for the wrestling show in downtown Beijing. At first, only two male villagers got down to the practicing. But when they were invited to perform in the town during spring festival, villagers looked very disappointed at their performance. Wang, who had been observing the men, jumped in and took over.

"My neighbors thought it was not elegant for women to be kicking around, but I persisted," says Wang and proceeds to demonstrate some of her moves.

Since 2004, her performance has been welcomed at many folk festivals. And Erkui wrestling is now part of the city's intangible cultural heritage.

However, she will not be performing at the upcoming show, as she has taken on other tasks such as writing the dialogue and preparing the sketches.

Wang seldom finds time for her family but receives much support from her husband. She devotes time to household chores late in the evening, after work.

She likes watching cartoons sand performing with her 10-year-old daughter. She says movies and TV programs sometimes inspire her to come up with more interesting ideas to entertain the villagers. Earning only 700 yuan ($100) from the committee and 1,000 yuan ($140) from planting crops, she has a big family to support.

But, "no matter how much you earn, you should always be happy," she says.

Some village officials have expressed an interest in commercializing her show, but Wang is strongly opposed to it.

She believes cultural pursuits should be for people's enjoyment, not for profit.

(China Daily 06/06/2008 page18)