Ancient drum culture lives on in Shanxi

At a drum culture and art festival held on Friday in Weicun village of Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, performers played drums on carts, attracting a large number of residents and tourists. [Photo by Shi Yunping for chinadaily.com.cn]

At a drum culture and art festival held on Friday in Weicun village in Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, performers played drums on moving carts, attracting a large number of residents and tourists.

At a drum culture and art festival held on Friday in Weicun village of Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, performers played drums on carts, attracting a large number of residents and tourists. [Photo by Shi Yunping for chinadaily.com.cn]

The performance has a long history. It evolved from the military drums of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC). After more than 2,000 years of evolution, it has been developed into a kind of integrated performance with sports competitions – a unique look for drum culture across China.

In 2011, the performance was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

At a drum culture and art festival held on Friday in Weicun village of Xiangfen county, Shanxi province, performers played drums on carts, attracting a large number of residents and tourists. [Photo by Shi Yunping for chinadaily.com.cn]