In the old days of Zhangping She Nationality Township, there was a custom of dancing lanterns during the Lantern Festival. It is said that this custom originated during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (1735-1790) and came from the She people's settlement in Fenghuang Mountain, Guangdong. Its dance posture is unique, the rhythm is lively and the style is unique, showing the life style of the She people and giving people a beautiful enjoyment.
The lantern dance is a popular folk art. This kind of horse lantern is made of bamboo slices, wooden sticks, and colored paper. It started with three horse lanterns, and later developed into four, six, or eight horses. Generally, six horses are the most common. During the lantern dance, horse lanterns are mainly used, mixed with colorful lanterns such as butterflies, carps, and cormorants. Lights are lit in these lanterns, and young people dance and sing happily. The lyrics are rich and colorful, the mood is bright and comfortable, the performance form is unique and novel, and has strong national characteristics.
The full performance of the lantern dance is divided into five collective "formations", namely the Taiping Formation, the Single Eighth Formation, the Green Dragon Formation, the Rope Twisting Formation, and the Four-door Coiled Formation. Each of these formations has its own orientation, unique characteristics, and movements. Complex. At the same time, horse lanterns and other lanterns are coordinated together. Generally, there are three horse lanterns (red, yellow, and white), one butterfly lantern, two carp lanterns, two cormorant lanterns, three rows of lanterns, and other There are two Hua Dan, one Hua Gu Gong and four accompanists. With the accompaniment of music, various colored lanterns are mainly danced, and Hua Dan and Hua Gu Gong are mainly singing, singing and dancing, which is fascinating.
The costumes of the performers are mostly black, green, blue, and purple. Men wear headscarves on their heads and casual pants with large trousers and shorts on their lower bodies. Women wear skirts that are divided into two parts, front and back. All trimmed with small lace. When dancing on the lanterns, they dance gracefully, funny and charming, and the dancing figures of the lanterns are dazzling.
The audience can not only see the gorgeous lights and graceful dances, but also enjoy the melodious music and singing. The accompaniment of the horse lantern dance is mainly percussion, and the lantern songs sung have the mood of She nationality folk songs, and the lyrics are rich in content. There are "tea picking songs for the four seasons" that reflect the working life of rural tea farmers, and "one gong" that expresses New Year blessings. There are also "Flower Drum" songs to express love. The singing and music are matched with the flexible and changeable light-jumping movements, which are sometimes tight and sometimes slow, sometimes high and sometimes low. Choose on the spot. Each performance ranges from over an hour to fifteen minutes, usually around thirty minutes.
Every Lantern Festival in the first lunar month is a time for joyful lantern lighting. On the night of the Lantern Festival of the She people, the horse lantern team is like a jubilant dragon, flowing through the vast night sky, one after another, sometimes near and sometimes far away, the colorful lanterns are shining and colorful, adding infinite vitality to the quiet and solemn night of She Township. After dancing the lantern dance on the Lantern Festival night, they burn the lanterns to express their gratitude to their ancestors and pray for happiness in the new year, hoping to gallop forward like a horse in the years to come. With its joyful mood and bright rhythm, the lantern dance brings joy and happiness to every corner of She Township. It embodies the She people's desire for a better life.