Shandong school teaches Ram Butting Head Drum Dance

Editor's Note:

The Yellow River runs through nine cities in East China's Shandong province and flows into the sea, bringing vitality and prosperity to the land. Along its banks, numerous intangible cultural heritage projects have been created and inherited, reflecting the colorful scenery, brilliant culture and rich diversity of Shandong. Shandong is a province with a long history and a splendid civilization. It boasts 186 national-level intangible cultural heritage projects, ranking it second in the country. Moreover, eight projects have been inscribed onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, according to the Shandong Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism. Join me on a journey in Meeting the Sea Along the Yellow River in Shandong, to discover the treasures of intangible cultural heritage there and appreciate the charms of this ancient and modern land.

A course with a twist – which teaches the Ram Butting Head Drum Dance – was being offered by a school in Dongming county, in Heze city, in East China's Shandong province.

The county held a special event – called Intangible Cultural Heritage Goes to Campus: Passing on the Torch – at Dongming County Second Experimental Elementary School on Sept 2-3, to boost local knowledge and appreciation of Chinese traditional culture.

The Ram Butting Head Drum Dance, which was a unique course offered at the school, is known as Yang Di Tou Gu Wu in Chinese.

The dance incorporates movements that resemble a ram butting its head while carrying a drum in front of the chest. It was included in Shandong's intangible cultural heritage list in 2009 for its rugged style and form, providing entertainment and visual appeal.

The school's drum dance team members were 9-12 years old, so the size of the large drums used in the performance was reduced to accommodate their smaller bodies.

The students of Dongming County Second Experimental Elementary School practice the drum dance performance. [Photo by Wang Chen for chinadaily.com.cn]

During the performance, students stepped with their left toes back in a low lunge, carrying the drums and wielding drumsticks. The drumming created a captivating atmosphere for the audience.

The event is said to have not only enriched the cultural life of the campus for the students, but also helped them gain a better understanding and appreciation of their local intangible cultural heritage. It's hoped this will help promote intangible cultural heritage in Dongming county. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)