Monkeys are encouraged.  

When you enter the Yaoshan Gate, you are Yaoshan people.

Yaoshan Ancient Village is ancient in appearance and fragrance. The houses are mainly ancient earth wall buildings. The ancient charm is leisurely, and the brook and the old house complement each other. In the morning, I woke up in the sound of birds singing, pushed the door, and saw the farmyard.

This mountain and water, this Yao village, not only gives visitors daydream, but also welcomes the attention of all parties. It has won the honor of "National Advanced Collective for Poverty Alleviation" and "Home of Guizhou Folk Culture and Art". Its romance and beauty, deep and broad, have never been "in a word".

Yaoshan Ancient Village is located in Yaoshan Yao Township, Libo County, Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Traditional natural villages and rich and colorful Yao folk customs are fully displayed here. With the progress of society, the living environment of the Yao nationality has undergone great changes. The only constant is the inheritance of the thousand year Yao culture.

On September 10, 2021, the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guizhou Province announced the list of 42 "Hometowns of Guizhou Folk Culture and Art", among which, Baiku Yaohou Drum Dance, a Yao nationality township in Yaoshan, Libo County, was on the list and won the title of "Hometown of Guizhou Folk Culture and Art" from 2021-2023.

Here you can not only feel the fireworks of Yao people, but also feel the strong folk customs.

Monkey Drum Dance, called "Jiugelang" in Yao language, is a traditional sacrificial dance popular in Baiku Yao area of Yaoshan. It is said that Bai Kuyao of Yaoshan was rescued by a group of monkeys when he was in danger when he moved from Guangxi to Libo Jinglao Village. In order to commemorate the migration of ancestors and the protection and rescue of monkeys, future generations imitate the scenes of ancestors crossing mountains and rivers, as well as the look of monkeys climbing and feeding. After hundreds of years of creation and inheritance, the monkey drum dance has now been formed. Monkey drum dance has a unique performance form. The dancers imitate the movements of monkeys, showing their intelligence and liveliness. The dance is rough and simple, the rhythm is strong, and the drum ensemble is solemn and desolate, which fully demonstrates the primitive and simple nature and the supreme realm of the perfect unity of heaven, earth and people.

When dancing, people form a large circle, with leather drums standing in the circle, and several or even a dozen copper drums suspended on the other side. There are two musicians on each side of the bronze drum, one is playing the drum, and the other is holding a "resonance box" like a rice steamer behind the drum, and the water scoops in and out behind the drum, so as to make the sound of the bronze drum more deep, thick and pleasant. The whole dance style is simple, straightforward, warm and exciting, and there are many vigorous, agile, jumping and crazy scenes, which fully reflects the primitive national character of the Yao people. Monkey drum dance is an indispensable performance in the festival celebration of Yaoshan. The drums are loud and the dance steps are flexible, which makes people feel as if they are in the mountains and forests, and feel the monkey like flexibility and wit.

He Jizuo is the best person who can dance monkey drum dance in Libo area and is known as the "Monkey Drum Dance King". He Ji has been sitting for more than 80 years this year. His face has left the vicissitudes of time. He lived in Yaoshan since childhood and learned monkey drum dance from his grandfather. Now he has inherited it.

"At first, 'Monkey Drum Dance' was mainly used for funeral occasions where people beat bronze drums to worship the dead, which was the main part of the sacrificial activities. It was intended to adjust the sad atmosphere of the funeral venue, send the elderly home in a lively manner, and do filial piety to their children and grandchildren." When talking about Monkey Drum Dance, He Ji talked endlessly. The dance is performed by men, and the drummer (wooden drummer) is the main dancer and conductor of the whole dance. The dance is divided into three stages: "single", "double" and "collective".

He Jizuo devoted his whole life to the inheritance of monkey drum dance. He not only passed on the skill of monkey jumping encouragement to later generations, but also carried forward its spiritual connotation. He Jizuo often said, "Monkey Drum Dance is not just a dance, it is our Yao history and culture, and it is our understanding and love of life." Under his influence, many Yao boys joined the family of inheriting Monkey Drum Dance.

For He Jizuo, Monkey Drum Dance is like being injected into life. Whenever the drum sounded, he seemed to be connected with his ancestors and talked with history. His dance steps are vigorous and elegant, full of strength and self-confidence, which makes people feel the wisdom and courage of the ancestors of the Yao nationality.

Yao people offer sacrifices.

Monkey drum dance, as the cultural treasure of Yaoshan, is now facing the challenge of inheritance. How to let more people know and love monkey drum dance while retaining the tradition is a question that He Jizuo has been thinking about.

"Young people should understand and respect our national culture," he said earnestly. He often takes his disciples to perform monkey encouragement for children in the village, hoping that through his own efforts, more children will understand and inherit this skill.

However, with the change of times, children in Yaoshan are gradually attracted by modern culture, and the inheritance of monkey drum dance is facing severe challenges. He Jizuo is deeply worried about this. He is worried that this traditional art with a long history will gradually be forgotten.

To this end, He Jizuo has carried out a series of monkey encouragement cultural promotion activities in cooperation with local cultural institutions. They not only perform monkey encouragement for tourists in festival activities, but also integrate it into local education courses, so that children can learn and love this traditional art.

At the same time, He Jizuo also actively explored the diversified development of monkey drum dance. He tried to combine monkey drum dance with modern dance elements to create works with a sense of the times, so that more people can understand this legendary skill. He Jizuo never stopped interpreting and inheriting the monkey drum dance skill. He used his life to interpret monkey drum dance, and also dedicated his life to monkey drum dance. To his great satisfaction, the monkey drum dance of the Yao nationality has been passed down in many ways.

The inheritance and development of Monkey Drum Dance is not only related to Yao's cultural self-confidence, but also a contribution to human multiculturalism. In the face of future challenges, we should stick to the tradition and be brave to innovate, just like He Jizuo, so as to make Monkey Inspiration, a cultural treasure, shine more brightly.

Today, Monkey Drum Dance has become a popular cultural project in Yaoshan tourism, festival performances and other activities, and has been included in the national intangible cultural heritage protection list.

Source | Rural Geography

Article | Zhang Yunkai, Li Jinfu

chart  |  Xiong Yaping

Edit | Liu Shuang

Second instance | Xie Yuqian

Third instance | Zhao Lin