Yangge Dance of the Manchu

Yangge is a dance that the Manchu people really enjoy. It is said to have a history of about 200 years. During holidays and festivals, every village puts on a big Yangge performance.

There is no limit on how many people can join a Yangge team. But there are two key roles in the team. One is the leader, who directs the whole team on how to move and dance. This person's job is to clear the way in front. Another performer, with a blackened face and a long whip in hand, plays a mythical creature with the head of an ox, the face of a horse and the body of a snake, clearing the way for the procession. The rest of the team members don't have fixed roles. Men wear everyday clothes, while women wear flower crowns decorated with three to five butterflies. Each person wears a brightly colored silk sash diagonally across the body — it could be yellow, white, blue or red.

In the dance, the men swing their arms widely, often imitating eagles flying or drawing a bow and shooting arrows. The women's movements are tall and smooth. They wave their silk handkerchiefs and fans gracefully, showing the lively character of women from a horse-riding and archery culture. 

In the past, if two Manchu Yangge teams met on the road, their two leaders had to go through a formal greeting ritual. There were more than thirty different moves. If they could match all of them perfectly, they would be recognised as belonging to the same "family". Then they would perform the highest Manchu salute, and after that, the two teams would mix together and dance as one.

When night fell, the square would be lit up with many small lamps. In the centre, five wooden poles were set up with oil lamps on top, called Plum Blossom Lamps. The Yangge dancers, each holding a colourful lantern, moved through the poles in formation. From above, they looked like a flowing galaxy.