User:Wu Hongping

My name is Wu Hongping. I am a student studying in Hunan Normal University now, majoring in English. As a freshman here, I am looking forward to a happy and colorful life in these three years.I hope I can make many more new friends and improve myself in study and confidence. In this class, I hope to know more about Chinese culture and western culture through all presentations here.

Final Exam Paper

Hand-waving Dance(Baishou Dance)

Introduction

The Tujia people are good at singing and dancing, who call themselves "Bizika", which means "local people" in Tujia language. People of this ethnic group will perform an extremely representative traditional dance called "Sheba Ri" during the Tujia New Year. "Sheba" is translated into Chinese as "waving hands", and "Ri" as "doing", so "Sheba Ri" can be freely translated as "hand-waving dance"[1]. It originally was a form of sacrifice and praying for the Tujia people. A large number of people gather together, waving their hands rhythmically and in unison. Their movements are powerful yet agile, bringing much joy and vitality to them. Hand-waving Dance carries the collective memory and folk customs of the Tujia people, embodies the people's yearning for a better life, and shows an important way of social entertainment and cultural inheritance.

Origin and custom

The Hand-waving Dance is deeply rooted in the ancient sacrificial culture of the Tujia people, with a history of over 2,000 years. In Yongshun County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Hunan Province, there is a Tujia village called Shuangfengqi, where the local people still use the Tujia language. Some of these locals believe that the origin of the Hand-waving Dance is related to a war. In this ancient war, to lure the enemy into the territory, the Tusi king ordered the local people to dance and sing. When the enemy was attracted to watch the singing and dancing, the king sent people to capture them, and finally won the war. Later generations, in commemoration of this victory, initiated the Hand-waving Dance[1]. This also proves that the origin of the dance is related to war.

Numerous ancient texts record that the ancient Hand-waving Dance was a sacrificial dance performed by the Tujia people after hunting and harvesting, with an aim to thank heaven, earth and their ancestors. It can be divided into "Grand Hand-waving Dance" and "Small Hand-waving Dance" based on the number of dancers. The former involves hundreds or even thousands of participants, while the latter involves dozens to a hundred people. Every year during the Lunar New Year (in the first lunar month) and Qingming Festival (in the third lunar month), the Tujia people gather in front of the "Baishoutang"( Hall of Hand-waving) to perform the Dance, with the event lasting three to five days. While performing the dance, the Tujia people sing "Baishou Songs" to trace their ethnic origins, migration history, and praise the arduous pioneering spirit of their ancestors in founding the community.

The Grand Hand-waving Dance is large in scale. When dancing, men and women form teams, holding dragon and phoenix flags, wearing Xilan Kapu (traditional Tujia brocade), blowing ox horns, earthen horns, and suonas, and setting off three-eyed cannons. The Tujia elder leads the way into the Baishoutang, carrying a copper bell and a ritual knife, wearing a tall hat and an eight-panel skirt. During the dance, symbolic movements resembling soldiers going to war are performed, including thrusting and confrontation. Because it is associated with receiving the inspection of ancestors, the large hand-waving dance inevitably evokes a sense of frenzy and fervor. If these elements were removed, it would undoubtedly be a magnificent sporting and artistic activity. The small hand-waving dance, also known as the farming dance, is smaller in scale and simpler in form. Its content includes sweeping the ground in the first lunar month; cutting grass, inviting the blacksmith, making farm tools, and digging soil in the second month; plowing fields in the third month; sowing seeds in the fourth month; transplanting rice seedlings and weeding in the fifth month; weeding twice in the sixth month; threshing rice in the seventh month; carrying corn in the eighth month; breaking down the cattle pen in the ninth month; planting wheat in the tenth month; hunting in the eleventh month; and preparing for the New Year in the twelfth month. The small hand-waving dance is led by the person presiding over the sacrificial ceremony, with one person playing the drum and gong. Participants form a circle, dancing while turning. By incorporating elements of the Tujia people's production and daily life, its form is more life-like, entertaining, and popular, making the dance more widely practiced.

It can be seen that the Hand-waving Dance is closely related to the traditional customs of the Tujia people. Over time, it has gradually evolved from a purely religious ritual into a folk art that reflects the life and beliefs of the people, and has gradually shed its sacrificial procedures into an entertaining dance.

Movements and Forms

The characteristics of the Baishou dance are its simple yet rhythmic movements, with the waving of hands as the core, accompanied by steady steps against the backdrop of music. The dancers mainly move in circles or in formations, with men and women holding hands, swinging their hands up and down, left and right. The dance movements imitate daily labor scenes such as rice planting, plowing, and weaving, as well as historical battle scenes including archery. There is a segment called "Brother and Sister Getting Married", which narrates the myths and legends about human reproduction and vividly shows the ancient consanguineous marriage in people's memory[2]. The accompaniment relies on traditional instruments such as drums, gongs, and flutes. The overall style is both cheerful and solemn, which not only reflects the diligence of the Tujia people, but also contains their awe of nature and ancestors. In addition to sacrifice and commemoration, the development process of the Hand-waving dance also records the historical process of the nation's development.

Distribution and Inheritance

Today, the Hand-waving Dance is mainly prevalent in Xiangxi of Hunan Province (including Longshan, Baojing, Yongshun, Guzhang and other counties) and Laifeng County in Hubei Province[2]. Among them, Laifeng County is one of the core areas of inheritance. Thanks to its unique geographical environment and rich cultural traditions, the county has completely preserved the original features of the Dance. Local elders have passed down the dance movements, songs and related customs from generation to generation. Some schools even use the Dance in students' recess exercises. As an important part of China's intangible cultural heritage, the Hand-waving Dance has always been cherished and promoted by all sectors of society, and plays an important role in maintaining and inheriting the Tujia culture.

References

1. Yuan Ge. A Study on the Origin of the Tujia Baishou Dance [J]. Social Scientist, 2004 (3): 74-75.

2. Editorial Department of the Collection of Chinese Ethnic Folk Dances. Collection of Chinese Ethnic Folk Dances · Hunan Volume (Part 1) [Z]. China Dance Press. 1991.

3. Baidu Encyclopedia

Terms

1. Bizika: A Tujia language word, directly translated into Chinese as "Tujia".

2. Hand-waving Dance(Baishou Dance): A traditional folk dance of the Tujia people, originating from sacrificial rituals.

3. Tujia New Year: The biggest Tujia celebration. Also known as "Guogannian", it coincides with Chinese New Year ( Spring Festival , between January 21 and February 20 on the Western calendar) and is generally celebrated one day earlier than the true date. Each family butchers a pig, makes mung bean noodles, cooks sticky rice wine, make wine.

4. Sheba Ri: The Tujia name for the Hand-waving Dance, meaning "dancing in reverence for the gods".

5. Tusi: A special political system in China, where successive feudal dynasties ruled over ethnic minority areas by granting hereditary titles to local leaders.

6. Tusi King: Based on legends about historical figures, the Tusi King is often depicted as a ruler who, after possessing extraordinary skills and eliminating evil for the people, was granted a title by imperial decree.

7. Baishoutang: A traditional Tujia venue used for worshipping ancestors and performing the Hand-waving Dance.

8. Baishou Song: Also known as "Sheba Song", it is a song sung during the traditional Hand-waving Dance, serving as an important cultural carrier for worshipping ancestors and praying for a good harvest.

9. Intangible Cultural Heritage: Cultural practices, traditions, and art forms passed down through generations.

Questions

1.What is the original purpose of Baishou Dance?

2.What movements and art forms are combined in Baishou Dance?

3.Where is Baishou Dance mainly inherited and popular today?

Answers

1.Its original purpose was to worship ancestors, pray for good harvests, and seek blessings for the community.

2.It combines rhythmic hand-waving movements, steady steps, singing, music (from drums, gongs, flutes, etc.), and dramatic elements. The dance movements imitate daily labor scenes such as rice planting, plowing, and weaving, as well as historical battle scenes including archery.

3.It is mainly popular in western Hunan (Longshan, Baojing, Yongshun counties) and Laifeng County, Hubei, with Shemihu Village in Baifusi Town as a key inheritance site.