Swing dance brings fortune to Lahu folks

Editor's note:

The Banli village in southwest Yunnan’s Lincang city is the cradle of the traditional swing dance of Lahu people. At first, the villagers voluntarily performed the dance for fun. Having learned from their peers in Lijiang and Xishuangbanna, they set up a performing company later, inviting in visitors with their swing dance. Now the Lahu villagers have increased their income.

Swing dance brings fortune to Lahu folks

Entering the Banli village of Lancang Lahu Autonomous County in Lincang city, visitors soon realized they were in the cradle and inheriting base of the traditional swing dance of the Lahu ethnic group. With the clear singing and melodious tunes of Lusheng (a reed-pipe wind instrument) going on, they were greeted by a newly-built courtyard with the striking title “Home of Swing Dance” inscribed on the gate.

A sizable outdoor theater has been built up in the spacious yard, and the villagers were staging a performance on the right to welcome their guests. Coupled with the jubilant swing dance, the melodious tunes of Lusheng and guitar, as well as the beats of elephant-foot drums, the songs of Wedding Vows and My Motherland and I were sung in affection. The spectators' stand on the left was occupied by villagers and visitors, and because of the seat shortage, some just leaned against the nearby short wall for the performance.

“The dance, featuring gentle stretching and neat and graceful movements, has been handed down by the Lahu ethnic group and was inspired by farm work such as plowing, sowing seeds, fertilizing crops, threshing and harvesting,” said Zhang Nasuan, a provincial inheritor of the swing dance. Having learned the dance from her mother, Zhang is now teaching the art to ten plus kids in the Banli village.

The Banli folks live in a quite concentrated area, making it easy to carry out group activities. As the neighboring Jingmai airport opened to traffic years ago and a garden of traditional Chinese medicine was built up nearby, more visitors have come to the village. “At first, the villagers performed the dance voluntarily. Having learned from their peers in Lijiang and Xishuangbanna, they set up a performing company later, inviting in visitors with their swing dance,” said Zhang Heida, the village head. In a bid to increase their income, the Lahu villagers perform twice or three times every week. By the end of March this year, the performances have brought in an income of 400,000 yuan. During the Spring Festival, the company awarded each actor 500 yuan, and starting in April the awards have been given out monthly: 200 yuan per actor.

“I couldn’t have imagined making money by performing. I was entitled as a provincial inheritor and the government granted me 8,000 yuan each year,” said Zhang, adding the sum is quite big for her family.

In Banli village, 479 of the 1,077 families used to be poverty-stricken. In 2020, the whole village was lifted out of poverty, the muddy roads were cemented, and the per capita net income rose to 6,615 yuan from around 2,000. The shabby houses with wooden frames and earthen walls have gone, and 60 percent of the families live in houses of bricks and tiles. “Since the Lahu swing dance performance company was established last year, we’ve got a new way to increase the villagers’ income, with the cultural activities enriched,” said Zhao, who is expecting an even better future for the village.

Reporting by Zhang Yong (Guangming Daily); Photos by Yunnnan Daily and Xinhua; Trans-editing by Wang Shixue