Just a few years ago, Nanzhang was nothing but a nondescript, underdeveloped county hidden in the mountainous area of Hunan Province. But these days, it is a renowned destination for millennium-old folk performances. These include the Shaman Dance, believed to be a form of communication with the gods; Juzhang Music, used to pray for blessings at weddings or funerals; the Donggong Stilt Dance, featuring antics and tricks; and the Farmer’s Gong and Drum characterized by impromptu comic performances. These folk art forms, forged amidst the struggle between man and nature, combine bold imagination with tender romance, and have maintained an incredible vitality over the past 3,000 years in the villages hidden deep in the craggy Jingshan Mountains.

Shaman Dance

Typically, a Shaman Dance begins with the beating of gongs. Under the gaze of spectators from neighboring villages, an old shaman in his 70s, wearing a five-Buddha crown, a yellow robe and a pair of handmade cloth shoes, begins to dance to the singing of his four partners. The shaman performs various moves: Circling while holding a fan and a drum in his hands; bowing to a flag embroidered with the Eight Diagrams; and dancing while waving an axe or a sword. Despite the complicated steps, his pace remains rhythmic. At the height of the performance, his sonorous singing resounds in the air.

In a dilapidated house in Xuejiaping Village, Nanzhang County’s Xueping Town, Qin’s Troupe performs one such Shaman Dance. The shaman’s portrait and various ritual instruments are laid out in the center of the stage, while the backdrop is painted with dragon and phoenix totems as well as suns, moons, stars and fire. It is not easy for a village to be granted a visit from the famous Qin’s Troupe to perform the dance. In addition to a considerable fee, the village must also prove that its hosts are “noble and virtuous.”