Recently, Shanxi province has officially announced the fifth batch of intangible cultural heritage list, including 10 categories of 79 projects."Halazhai Stilts", declared by Culture, Sports, Radio and Television Bureau in Fugu county (located in Yulin, Shanxi), was successfully selected in traditional dance class, being a project of intangible cultural heritage.

It was understood that 10 categories of 79 projects including Xian Meat Clip Buns, Halazhai Stilts, Li Zicheng Legends inMizhi (a county in Yulin, Shanxi) and so on were chosen in the fifth batch ofShanxi intangible cultural heritage list. So far County Fugu has on estate-level intangible cultural heritage project (Fugu song-and-dance duet),two provincial ones (Fugu Song-and-Dance Duet and Halazhai Stilts),five municipalones (Halazhai Stilts,Acid Yellow Rice Porridge,Fugu Lantern Dance,Fugu Mountain Tunes and Craftsmanship of Wooden Boats).

A staff in Fugu County Party Committee told thatstilts is an art form which performed in the streets and squares in the newyear and large celebrations. With a one-meter-long stick tied on each leg, the performers concentrated all power in the end of the sticks, which had high requirements for their balance.

Halazhai Stilts is a kind of popular folk acrobatics with strong ornamental values and unique regional culture. It was popularin the late Qing Dynasty until to the Republic of China, especially during the Anti-Japanese War Period. At that time, the Northeast Anti-Japanese Armysettled into Fugu Halazhai. The experts from the northeast and the south added new contents to Halazhai Stilts in the aspects of feats and makeup. Surrounding areas often invite them to perform in some large festival celebrations. It plays a positive role in carrying forward and developing traditional cultures of the surrounding provinces and cities.

Source:www.hsw.cn

Time:2016-01-20