Ancient Shangyang dance lives on in Heze

A Shangyang dance performance. [Photo by Wang Jianjun for chinadaily.com.cn]

The Shangyang dance is a treasured item of national intangible cultural heritage, which originated as a folk dance for the local folks in Juancheng county in Heze city – situated in East China's Shandong province – in order for them to pray for rain and a good harvest.

The dance has an extraordinary history dating back to the Shang (c.16th century-11th century BC) and Zhou (c.11th century-256 BC) dynasties, but it reached its peak during the Song (960-1279) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties. It was first recorded in the Kong Zi Jia Yu, or The School Sayings of Confucius.

Shangyang is a divine bird, dancing on one foot in Chinese ancient legend. The dance is usually performed by both men and women, with 12 or 18 to each group. They mimic the singing of the Shangyang with a pair of clappers in hand while dancing with a live band.

The combination of drumbeats and voices creates a wild, inspiring atmosphere. A full Shangyang dance performance lasts for more than 30 minutes.

"Now we perform the dance because we want to inherit the intangible cultural heritage and to enjoy ourselves. It also brings us good health," said Wei Ruixia, a local of Juancheng and an inheritor of the traditional art. (Edited by Fan Yuanyuan)