At Hongze Lake area in Jiangsu Province, a folk dancing form with very strong fishermen charm is inherited — Hongze Lake fishing drum, which was originated from the sacrifice performance at Hongze Lake area and has a long history. Originated from the Tang Dynasty, got prosperous in the Ming and Qing dynasties and with the inheritance and development by actors of all generations, the dance movement of Hongze Lake fishing drum is getting perfect day by day, has become a significant performance content for Hongze Lake area fishermen to celebrate harvest, sing labor, celebrate holidays joyfully and is greatly popular among the lake area fishermen.
At the performance of Hongze Lake fishing drum, accompanied by the bright rhythm and beautiful melody, the movements and postures of fishermen life including boating, knitting fishing net, arranging hocks and pulling net etc. are showed in front of people, emitting very strong fishermen style of the lake area.
Hongze Lake fishing drum dance has been developed with the fishermen life and production in Hongze Lake drainage basin and was firstly produced in the area of Bancheng, Sihong County, Jiangsu Province(today’s Bancheng Town). Located at the west bank of Hongze Lake, Bancheng Town was the capital of Kingdom Xu, and also the origin place of the surname Xu and China Xu culture, there are such Xu culture sites as Xucheng Ridge, Sword Suspending Terrace and Gucang Tomb etc. The special geographic environment and profound cultural background have resulted in the widespread existence of traditional fishermen sacrifice activity for which the local common people pray for gods to protect fishermen peaceful fishing in the lake and to return by celebrating harvest etc.
The costume of Hongze Lake fishing drum performers is bright-colored and beautiful and the performance place is on the water “stage” composed of 7 to 8 boats when the audience is much. The fishing drum actors have evolved constantly in their production and life, the singing is no longer superstitious yelling for deity and praying to Buddha, but has melted the Chinese folk art singing, elbow drum tone and also absorbed the singing tone and rhythm of fishermen labor songs. The dance performance is no longer simple dancing movement, but the dancing postures such as front and back swimming and wagging from side to side etc. and the fishing movements like casting a net, placing fishing gear and boating etc.
Hongze Lake fishing drum has greatly high historical culture value and cultural art value. For some hundreds years, it has carried the production and life technique of the lake area fishermen, reserved and inherited the folk customs and art that are to be lost in the lake area, recorded much cultural information of the lake area, and reflected the lake area historical and cultural process. This old cultural representation has truly shown the aesthetic orientation of the lake area fishermen in different times and its evolution process has witnessed the development process of Hongze Lake area in terms of politics, economy and culture.
