Editor's Note: This article is produced in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies as part of a series of ongoing reports exploring the city's abundant resources in intangible cultural heritages.
“The girls of the Peng family and boys of the Tian clan... Let’s wave our hands together, evoking the image of a golden dragon majestically swimming through the sea!”
The Chinese Baishou Dance (literally Hand-waving Dance) of Tujia traces its origins to Youyang, Chongqing. This dance form integrates movement with songs and music, encapsulating the essence of local folk traditions, ballads, and folklore. These rich regional customs are portrayed in Lovers in the Water, a film about this intangible cultural heritage.
People perform the Baishou Dance during an activity (Photo provided to iChongqing and Bridging News)
Liao Yun, a young girl who teaches Baishou Dance and folk music in town, always spends time singing and dancing. Youshuihe Town is recognized as the cradle of the Tujia Baishou Dance, and there is a proverb that resonates through its vibrant culture: “If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing folk songs.” (film plot)
The boy, Tan Bingjian, left the city and returned to Youyang due to suffering from a terminal disease. (film plot)
Liao Yun and Tan Bingjian were friends in childhood and learned to dance and sing folk tunes together. When they grew up, they left their hometown. (film plot)
Baishou Dancing is a unique form of theatrical art as well as a type of folk entertainment and a communal physical experience.
In front of Baishoutang, gatherings abound,
With unified voices in song.
The subtle hum of drums and gongs fills the air,
Their captivating rhythms linger long after.
An elder is teaching youth the Baishou Dance (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Liao Yun dances with elegance and poise, representing a bounty of life’s abundant experiences.
There are various types of Baishou Dances. Though the accompanying instruments, chiefly gongs, and drums, are simple in nature, their rhythms are pivotal, controlling transitions and variations within the dance formations and movements.
The costumes worn by the Tujia males in the dance are predominantly self-crafted homespun, with colors of green and blue prevailing. Adult men usually adorn themselves with a long, chevron-patterned cloth kerchief, leaving their heads uncovered. Middle-aged women present themselves with grace, elegance, and a touch of vitality, commonly accessorizing with a black or green headscarf. In contrast, younger ladies often prefer white head kerchiefs delicately adorned with embroidery.
In the courtyard, locals dance with heartfelt joy, their voices raised in Muye love songs that linger in the air. Liao Yun and Tan Bingjian also join the Baishou Dance together, and their eye-catching costumes set them apart instantly.
An elder is teaching youth the Baishou Dance (Photo/Chongqing Daily)
Their hearts entwined swiftly thereafter, marking the commencement of a narrative that was both touching and heartbreaking. Amidst the distinctive Baishou Dance of the Tujia, they wove a passionate tapestry of love, a story intense and profound yet destined to remain unfulfilled.
In November 2019, the List of Protected Units of National Representative Items of Intangible Cultural Heritage announced that the Youyang Tujia and Miao Autonomous County Cultural Center was awarded the qualification of the Tujia Baishou Dance (Youyang Baishou Dance) project protection unit.
In actuality, Baishou Dance embodies the romance of art, standing as a romantic heritage bequeathed by history. It represents not just the enduring cultural heritage of the locals but also a rich tapestry that modern individuals ought to explore and appreciate.
Preserving cultural heritage is akin to safeguarding the soul of a nation.
Chinese script: Li Pingju
Tutored by: Xu Li
Translation: Tan Meiling
Tutored by: Cheng Guo Li Jie
Voice-over: Jin Xiaotong
Tutored by: Xing Dandan