Yasuaki

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: an Zhao

Applicant: Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai Province

Project No.: 1098

Project No.: Ⅲ - 109

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region:

Type: new item

Applicant: Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai Province

Protection unit: Huzhu Tu Autonomous County Cultural Center

About an Zhao:

Applicant: Huzhu Tu Autonomous County, Qinghai Province

An Zhao, a popular dance in Huzhu Tu Autonomous County of Qinghai Province, is a kind of popular song and dance used to praise and pray for blessings in folk festivals and wedding ceremonies.

There is a legend about the origin of an Zhao among the Tu people: in ancient times, there was a clever Tu girl who wrote and performed an Zhao, a circle song and dance, in order to kill all the people. The revolving circle dance confused the eyes and mind of a devil named Wang Mang. People took the opportunity to catch and kill the devil with a rope. From then on, the Tu people lived a peaceful life and left an Zhao as a form of singing and dancing.

There is no limit on the number of people who can participate in Anzhao dance, up to three or two or even hundreds of people, regardless of men, women, old and young, can join at any time. When dancing, there is no musical instrument accompaniment. Usually, there are one or two "Du Rijin" (singing expert) who lead the singing. All the dancers follow each other and sing the lyrics. According to the order of male and female, they sing, dance and turn clockwise, so they are also called "Zhuan Anzhao". Zhuan an Zhao is a song and a dance. Each dance section is composed of a song and several movements. It goes back and forth according to the established order. It often sings and dances all night until it is full of fun.

The main content of an Zhao's singing and dancing is to bless the prosperity of the nation and the place, pray for peace and prosperity, praise the kindness of the mountains and rivers, praise the achievements of the ancestors' hard work in opening up their homes, and express their love for the countryside and yearning for a better life.

Anzhao, a traditional form of song and dance of Tu nationality, has a high national historical and cultural value. However, with the changes of the times and the integration of exchanges among different nationalities, many of the old Tu artists who are good at performing an Zhao have died. Although some Tu tourist reception sites will also perform an Zhao dance for tourists, it has gradually lost the original characteristics of an Zhao.

Chinese PinYin : An Zhao