ChrisSteveEvens

Chinese name Folk

民间社火（永年抬花桌）

Approval time

On June 7,2008

Heritage level

national level

Heritage category

folk custom

Declaration area

Yongnian District, Hebei Province

Heritage No

Ⅹ-54

Yongnian flower lifting table began in the early Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1,000 years.[3]According to inscriptions and historical records, at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Li Shimin, king of Qin, stationed troops in Loushan, five west of Dongguan, and fought against Dou Jiande, who was king in Yongnian. Later, Li Shimin won and established the Tang Dynasty. After Li Shimin ascended the throne, he created the prosperous age of Zhenguan. In order to celebrate, he ordered Yuchi Jingde to build the Guanyin Pavilion in Linmingguan, with flowers on the table, and gongs and drums. Since then, the custom of carrying the flower table has been extended to this day, and has gradually evolved into an important cultural activity for the people to celebrate the bumper year, pray for the coming grain harvest and festival festival.[2] Activity process

Performance form

         In the flower table performance, the performers wearing red pimple black satin cap, wearing blue shirt, coat yellow vest, feet wearing white socks black pointed shoes, nose beard, mouth diao dry smoke bag, left hand akimbo, right hand swing, sometimes toe, sometimes heel, or go forward, or backward, or bounce in place, dizzying. Yongnian carries the flower table is generally more than 60 years old, its performance in the sky is particularly amazing. In the form of the performance, the performer puts the front end of the small lifting pole of the flower table on his shoulder clavicle and back shoulder edge, unifying the pace and strength, by one person shouted " fly, jump!"Then, eight people at the same time will shoulder up a vertical, the flower table will be away from the shoulder to jump up half a foot high, and then fall firmly on the shoulders. This difficulty is a great "carp jump Longmen" trick, also set off the climax of the flower table.
         It should be noted that when carrying the flower table, the flower table also guides the Yongnian advocate band, and takes the suona playing as the lifting dancers. The members of the flower table all command by blowing the song, blowing what song in the front, what way in the back, and the dance posture echoes the music. The flower table often plays the repertoire is generally "overlord whip", "small wood bowl", "pull constantly", etc., the dance steps of the flower table by before and after rubbing step, eight step, flower, step, Yangko step, shake shoulder change shoulder, etc., walking up the drum music noise, flowers dancing, neat and coordinated, very spectacular.[2]
         During the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the local "oil wax meeting" elaborately decorates its own flower table, and each flower table is carried by eight people. Across the main streets of Six Street, onlookers commented on the flower tables. The best flower table is the most concerned, even the people who carry the flower table are very proud. If two flower table teams meet each other, they will not give way to each other, and the suona singer will have a singing competition here to see who can play well, play sound and play more songs.[3]
  Stage property
Old table, it is generally made of rosewood or annatto, eight square table, table back and on both sides of the shed column carved, painted dragon style, since the fence up with fine bamboo, wire tied into more than 6 feet high elliptical flower frame, dotted with thousands of flowers and hundreds of candles, the table on both sides of the waist chisel two square hole, by about 1 zhang 6 feet long of two large wooden pole through, pole end tied a medium bar, bar at both ends are two cross small vertical pole, with rope.[2]
  Cultural characteristics
     Yongnian flower table has three characteristics: the first is "heavy". Flower table production has a unique traditional craft, weighing more than 100 kilograms. The flower table is carried by 8 or 16 people in place or flowers. One man holds the pole, calling for the slogan and commanding. The second is qiao qiao. A table similar to the eight immortals table with flowers or silk flowers inserted high arch shape, the center is the white Guanyin sitting like, beautiful, fragrant, swaying, beautiful and beautiful. The third is "sacred". Don't look at a colorful table, it is the offerings of sacrificial Guanyin, from the sacrificial table, insert the table, lift the table, to the final demolition table, seal the table have a set of agreed ritual process.[3]
  Popular areas
     Yongnian flower table, mainly spread in Yongnian District, Linmingguan Town six Street. It are South Street, East Street, East Street, North Street, North Street, East Street and North West Street. Each street has its own "oil wax meeting" and is responsible for the flower carrying table activities in the street.[3]
Inheritance and protection
  Inheritance value
     Yongnian has a long history and complete form, contains the people's pursuit of peace and beauty, and is an important specimen of the development of folk ritual culture and dance art.[5]
Inheritance status

As a folk dance culture form, Yongnian flower table has traditional dancing skills, pace procedures and main ceremonies. However, with the gradual passing of the older generation of artists, its traditional skills and connotation are gradually lost, so it is urgent to strengthen the protection.[3]
safeguard

Yongnian County Party Committee and county government invited relevant comrades from Handan Art Museum and county Cultural Center to investigate the grass-roots level, visit old artists and the masses, excavate the historical origin of Yongnian flower table, record the ceremony process of carrying the flower table, and compile it into a book, which changed the traditional way of teaching by mouth and example. At the same time, the county cultural center comes forward, regularly carry out discussion activities, organize new and old artists to conduct technical exchanges and perform performances."County cultural center is increasing the publicity and promotion of Yongnian flower table, and strive to let more and more people understand Yongnian flower table.[3]
In November 2019, the List of Representative Projects of National Intangible Cultural Heritage was announced, and the Yongnian District Cultural Center of Handan City obtained the qualification of protection unit of "Folk Shehuo (Yongnian Flower Table)" project.[6]
On October 31,2023, the list of national Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects was announced, and the Yongnian District Cultural Center, the project protection unit of folk social huo (Yongnian flower table), passed the evaluation.[8]
social influence

Important activities

At 5 PM on the 15th day of the first lunar month in 2009, CCTV news channel "special program" reported the Yongnian folk folk activity "flower table" in the form of live broadcast.