Zhangjiajie is rich in ethnic customs and intangible cultural heritage. There are 818 items in 10 categories of intangible cultural heritage in the city, including 4 national-level items, 16 provincial-level items and 85 municipal-level items. In addition, Cili Banban Dragon Lantern was included in the public list of the 5th batch of representative and recommended national intangible cultural heritage.
1. Sangzhi folk song
Sangzhi folk song originated from ballads in the daily life of the ancestors in the primitive farming period. It’s a kind of folk music culture created by Sangzhi people in Hunan Province in the long-term life practice. It has a history of more than 2,000 years. Sangzhi folk songs have lively rhythm, beautiful melody, rich tunes and various forms.
Sangzhi folk songs were included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. Sangzhi County was named “Hometown of Folk Songs” by China Literary Artists Association in 2008. And Sangzhi folk song was awarded one of Hunan’s top 10 most attractive intangible cultural heritage items in 2011.
Some folk songs like Lampstand Made By Coriaria Branches and Hanging a Lantern at the Door are well-known.
2. Zhangjiajie Yang Opera
Zhangjiajie Yang Opera was originated in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, with a long history of more than 200 years. It has become a popular local opera.
The way of singing in the opera integrates the chest voice and falsetto. The chest voice is used in the lyric part while falsetto with a high octave in Tuo Qiang (prolonged tunes), unique among Chinese operas. Now, it has become a rare opera in China and a representative of Zhangjiajie’s national culture.
In 2006, it was listed in the first batch of protection list of intangible cultural heritage protection projects in Hunan Province. In 2011, it was identified as the third batch of protection list of national intangible cultural heritage items.
3. Zhang Gu dance of Bai nationality
Zhang Gu dance is typical to Bai nationality in Sangzhi County, which came into being in the early Yuan Dynasty. Zhang Gu refers to two double-headed hourglass drums on the two sides of a stick. It has different and flexible dance routines. Three dancers hold a Zhang Gu, stand like a tripod and dance in inverted T moves.
4. Tujia funeral dance
Tujia funeral dance is a kind of rites to mourn for the dead and see them off. With rich tunes, ancient singing tunes and simple dances, it’s the affirmation of Tujia people for life value and one way of inheriting Tujia culture.
It expresses how Tujia people view life, death and the universe, retains the scenes of life in fishing and hunting times and farming civilization, and accumulates the relics of totem and ancestor worship. Therefore, it has high cultural value and academic research value.
5. Banban Dragon Lantern
Banban Dragon Lantern is popular in Longtanhe, Hometown of Chinese Folk Art awarded by the Ministry of Culture. Originated in the Northern Song Dynasty, it is said to be a civil activity to commemorate General Lei Wanchun, who suppressed the bandits. The activity expresses the people’s joy for peace and prosperity and their desire for good harvests.
The number of participants ranges from 300 to 2,000 people. Now, it has become a large-scale sports culture and art activity written and performed by local people. Last year, it was listed in representative and recommended items of the fifth batch of national intangible cultural heritage by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
6. Zhangjiajie high festival lantern
Zhangjiajie High Festival Lantern was originated and developed at Yuanguping Town and its surrounding areas in Yongding District. Each performance team consists of 12 to 24 people. The high lantern symbolizes light and happiness while 12 lanterns refer to 12 peaceful months in a year.
Zhangjiajie High Festival Lantern has dozens of performance formation like “two dragons coming out of a cave” and “two dragons playing with a pearl”. It has developed its own style which is the representative of ancient Chinese folk dance. Recognized as “the living fossil of Chinese dance history”, it has inherited and developed the advantages of Chinese dance.
It was officially listed as the representative item of the first batch of intangible cultural heritage by Hunan Provincial Government in 2006.
7. Zhangjiajie Water Splashing Dragon
Zhangjiajie Water Splashing Dragon is a custom generated by the immigration of Bai people in Tang Dynasty. As time goes by, it has gradually evolved into a special custom of Tujia people to pray for rain in drought period.
Tujia people make dragon lanterns with its beard made of fresh reed leaves, and its body made of kudzu vines, vitex negundo and pine branches. A dragon lantern can be divided into 9 sections, 11 sections, 13 sections, 15 sections, etc, and performed by 9 to 15 people. With songs accompanied by gongs, drums, suonas, one man swings the dragon head in the front and others shake the dragon body. Meantime, audience pour cold water around the dragon body with washbasins, bailers, antimony buckets and other containers. More water encourages the dragon to dance more enthusiatically, which coveys Tujia people’s wish for a fair weather and a bumper harvest in the coming year. Over 50 movements like “two dragons grabbing treasure” and “dragon playing water” have been passed down.
It was identified by Hunan Provincial People’s Government as the representative of the second batch of intangible cultural heritage in Hunan Province in 2009.
8. Zhangjiajie Guigu Martial Arts
Zhangjiajie Guigu Martial Arts, also called Dayong Hard Qigong, has a long history and is profound as an integration of hard Qigong, martial arts and Chinese boxing. It’s a unique Chinese martial art that can be adopted in actual combat and fitness. According to the legend, Guiguzi lived in seclusion and taught his disciples in Tianmen Mountain, during which he created Guigu Martial Arts through continuous efforts.
Guigu Martial Arts consists of more than 20 sets of movements, such as “silver spear sticking throat” and “drilling brick with one finger”. In the 1970s and 1980s, Zhao Jishu, a Tujia villager in Guanliping Village, Dayong County, accompanied the state leaders twice to perform Guigu qifong in such European countries as Luxembourg, Italy and Romania. Guigu Martial Arts has become a highlight of tourism culture in Zhangjiajie with its inheritance and development over the years.
In 2009, it was designated as the representative of the 2nd batch of intangible cultural heritage by Hunan Provincial People’s Government.
9. Qiaotou rod puppet shows
Rod puppet show is a local opera preserved by seven generations of the Ding family in Qiaotou Township. It has unique stage decorations and singing skills.
There are different singing skills in the traditional plays and religious plays. The performance highlights the unity of form and spirit, requiring very difficult and complicated acting skills. It’s of great significance in many aspects, a bond linking ethnic minorities in western Hunan and a wonder of Tujia traditional operas in Zhangjiajie.
In 2016, puppet show (rod puppetry) was listed in the fourth batch of provincial intangible cultural heritage protection projects.
