BEIJING, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Chinese "Monkey Dance", a type of local folk dance with colored cudgel originated from Lanling County in Shandong Province, east China, is bringing new fun to people amid improved intangible cultural heritage protection there.
The dance, which integrates dance performance and funny movement accompanied by local folk songs, has a long history of nearly 200 years and can be dated back to Qing Dynasty.
Being expressive in style and fast in rhythm, the Chinese "Monkey Dance" requires performers, usually a couple, to cooperate to complete the performance and used to be a means for poor people to make living.
During the dance, the male dancer plays the colored cudgel like a monkey when the female dancer is responsible for amusing the audience.
In memory of Zhang Xuefa, an 80-year old local "Monkey Dance" performer in Lanling County, the cudgel used by him in the dance and his predecessors was once called the "rod of Monkey King" and by dancers' imitation of the movement of monkeys, the dance becomes more interesting, amusing and eye-catching for people.
As a typical folk dance accompanied by music in Lanling County or a greater area in Shandong Province, the Chinese "Monkey Dance" means much to people in learning about the Chinese folk dance and folk culture. (Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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