Jingxi Taiping Drum (Shijingshan Taiping Drum)
Taiping drum, also known as "fan drum", "single drum" and "sheepskin drum", is a unique folk festival dance in Beijing. It appeared in Beijing in the Ming Dynasty and became increasingly popular after the Qing Dynasty, with a broad mass base. In the early days, Jingxi Taiping drum was a collective dance from Manchu women, and it was not until the early 20th century that men joined. Taiping drum activities are held from the first day of the twelfth lunar month to the beginning of February of the following year, so Beijing also calls it "New Year's Drum". Beating the Taiping drum symbolizes peace and happiness in the world, and has a special meaning of praying for blessings and welcoming the new year. Shijingshan Taiping drum has a history of more than 200 years. It is most popular in Wulituo, Moshikou, Beixin'an, Gucheng Village, Yamenkou and other villages in Shijingshan District, Beijing. The first and twelfth lunar months are its active periods every year. Taiping drum is as big as a cattail fan, with a drum handle at the bottom. There are many drum shapes such as round, oblate, trapezoidal, octagonal, etc. It is passed down among the people in three ways, the most important of which is family inheritance, followed by spontaneous learning and inheritance by villagers. Shijingshan Taiping drum is humorous and full of life, and can express different emotions through rhythm changes. The drum is both a musical instrument and a prop. It can be played and danced at the same time, or it can be played and sung at the same time. The dancer shakes the ring with his left hand and beats the drum with his right hand, making a crisp sound, dancing to the rhythm of the drum. The basic rhythm of female dancers is "twisting" and "trembling", and the basic rhythm of male dancers is "fanning" and "gen". Taiping drum music mainly consists of two parts: drum beats and tunes. There are more than a dozen kinds of drum beats. There are many ways to beat Taiping drums, including front hitting, back hitting, hitting the drum heart, hitting the drum edge, shaking the iron ring up and down, left and right, and a series of other skills. Shijingshan Taiping drum is a component of Jingxi Taiping drum. It has a long history, is widely spread, rich in content, unique in style, strong in regional color, and has a strong self-entertainment. It is deeply loved by the masses and has a high value of folklore research. It is a symbol of cultural identity of the people in Jingxi and an important means of emotional communication between villagers. In recent years, Shijingshan Taiping Drum has gradually lost its performance space and lacks successors, and is in urgent need of rescue and protection.