Luochuan opposite gong and drum
Luochuan Plateau is the largest and thickest loess plateau in the world. Located in the special area between northern Shaanxi and Guanzhong, it has become a place with ancient civilization. Artists call this magical and attractive loess land a fertile soil for the growth of folk art. Luochuan has been a Shangjun since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and has always been a battleground for military strategists. The special geographical environment has created the unique style of Luochuan folk dance. The excavation of "Yan Wang Zhijian" fills the gap in the discovery of Yan State artifacts in Qin. It is on this thick loess plateau that not only a large number of ancient folk customs are preserved, but also colorful folk art is produced. "Opposite Gongs and Drums" is also called "Hundred-faced Gongs and Drums", which originated in Nanyuan Village, Luochuan. Luochuan's "opposite gongs and drums" has a long history. According to relevant experts, it originated in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The "Yan Wang Zhi Sword" from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period was unearthed in Tuji Town, Luochuan County. There are ancient battlefields and Fuzhen here. It is said that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty once offered sacrifices to the heaven here. Fan Zhongyan of the Song Dynasty once stationed troops and raised horses here. The opposite gongs and drums were produced during the military training and sacrificial activities of the military in successive dynasties, and have been passed down to this day along with the long river of history. According to the old artists, when Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty led his army to the north, he built a platform for worshipping immortals in Fuzhen to pray for ascension. Such a solemn ceremony cannot be without gongs and drums. Later, with the completion of the Wanfeng Pagoda in Xingguo Temple in Fucheng, the sacrificial activities became more active. Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, there were crowds of people, and every family competed to burn the first incense. Hundreds of people carried gongs and surrounded the Wanfeng Pagoda to beg for peace and blessings against the sound of drums, so it has been passed down. There is also a saying that "the golden gongs of Fucheng have been played in the community". The development of the opposite gongs and drums in Qiu Village has been passed down for six generations. They are all passed down by the family and villagers through mutual learning. Until now, they have been performed during festivals or some major celebrations. The opposite gongs and drums are a large-scale and spectacular folk dance form. It is composed of dozens of gongs, dozens of drums, dozens of cymbals, dozens of horse gongs, and dozens of flower poles. It is known as "hundred-faced gongs and drums". All performers are dressed as ancient warriors, wearing hero scarves on their heads, black battle uniforms, three flags on their backs, and battle skirts on their waists. The formation consists of two drum teams, one cymbal team, and one gong team. The front of the team leads the way with colorful flags. An old man holds a long pole and waves it, directing the rhythm, which is called "circling the pole". The drummers sometimes turn, sometimes stagger left and right, and sometimes hit each other, which makes people dazzled. The cymbals and gongs go up and down, like running to worship the Buddha, showing the humility of the working people on the loess land. The number of people performing the gong and drum is not small, the sound shakes the sky, the momentum is magnificent, and the rhythm is steady and deep. The artists summarize its performance movements as "seven-character legs, eight-character waist, nine-character arms raised high". It is not as jumping as the drum, it is steady and deep. And the performance is standardized. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)