Intangible cultural heritage to be passed down through campuses

Students witness a performance of the "Lei Ting Da Gu".  [Photo by Ye Bin for chinadaily.com.cn]

In recent days, Menghai town in Dingtao district of Heze in Shandong province introduced Niutun village's "Lei Ting Da Gu", a traditional folk art, into the primary school curriculum, aiming to teach students about the traditional folk art and allow them to experience Niutun village's drum music.

On the playground of Niutun village elementary school in Menghai town, the members of the Niutun village's drum music troupe dressed in vibrant yellow costumes mesmerized students with their performance. 

The performer introduces "Lei Ting Da Gu" to the students. [Photo by Ye Bin for chinadaily.com.cn]

At the same time, the drum player introduced the origin, history, and techniques of the traditional folk art to the students. Under his patient guidance, the students eagerly tried their hands at playing the drums. They picked up drumsticks, struck gongs, and practiced rhythmically beating the wooden boards. 

Niutun village's "Lei Ting Da Gu" was recognized among the first group of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) items in Heze in 2006 and listed as ICH item of Shandong province in 2009. 

Featuring a large drum made of cowhide as the centerpiece, the art form employs gongs, cymbals, and other percussion instruments, creating a harmonious blend of sounds. (Edited by Huang Junyao)