A performance of an Ansai waist drum dance is being recorded by an onlooker in Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 29, 2019. (Photo by Shanika Jayasekara)
By Shanika Jayasekara
As a Sri Lankan journalist visiting China, the rich intangible cultural heritage of the country has become a source of delight for me. And, just like in my country, Chinese rich culture strikes its roots deep and dearly loved by its people.
The Ansai waist drum of Yan'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, is one in particular.
In Ansai, nothing is more enthusiastic than the warm powerful expression of the beating of waist drum.
Dressed in red and white, the drummers move rapidly to intensifying beats and the melody of traditional instruments, kicking up clouds of dust like a gust of wind blowing across the yellowish loess.
The Ansai waist drum has a long history of over 2,000 years. For centuries, waist drums were indispensable for Ansai -- a frontier town frequently facing threats from the nomadic tribes to the north.
When war happened, drums were beaten violently to warn about surprise attacks, fervently to boost the morale of soldiers and excitedly to celebrate victory.
Over time, the function of the drum changed, with locals performing during festivals such as the Chinese Lunar New Year and the Lantern Festival.
Featuring vigorous movements and leaps accompanying lively, rhythmic drumbeats, the Ansai waist drum dance has made an appearance in many major international art arenas, such as the opening ceremony of the 11th Asian Games in Beijing in 1990.
Today, the Ansai waist drum performance plays a major role in boosting the local cultural tourism. As such, a cultural village, specially focusing on Ansai waist drum and folk customs, opened to the public in May 2018.
Watching an Ansai waist drum performance is a mesmerizing experience.
It enraptures the audiences with auditory and visual delights: synchronized movements, the intense beats, the energy, the expressions of the dancers and the color, which weaves itself to an overall picture in such a way that leaves one with a beautiful tapestry sewn into the memory forever.
