Lantern Dance (Wuwei fish lantern)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Lantern Dance (Wuwei fish lantern)

Applicant: Wuwei County, Anhui Province

Project No.: 642

Project No.: Ⅲ - 45

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: traditional dance

Region:

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Wuwei County, Anhui Province

Protection unit: Wuwei County Cultural Center

Brief introduction of Lantern Dance (Wuwei fish lantern)

Applicant: Wuwei County, Anhui Province

Wuwei fish lantern is a traditional lantern dance popular among the people in Wuwei County, Anhui Province. Every year from the Lantern Festival on the 15th to the 30th of the first month, people play with fish lanterns.

According to local folk custom, the first day of playing fish lantern is called "turn on the lantern", and the last day is called "close the lantern". From the first day when the lamp is turned on, the offering table is set up, and the whole village is responsible for the sacrifice. The Taoist priest is invited to do the ashram until the end of playing with the lamp. If there is an epidemic of infectious diseases in the village or crops are infested by insects, they should play with the fish lamp to make a wish, and use the fish lamp as a "God" to drive away evil, evil and peace. There is a local folk saying: "burning incense and praying is not equal to a red light." It is believed that the fish lantern is auspicious, peaceful and happy.

Wuwei fish lantern has a long history. According to folklore, in the Northern Song Dynasty, after returning to Chenzhou to release grain, the Duke of Bao called all parts of the country to offer lanterns to the imperial court. At that time, Wuwei presented eight fish (fish lamp) to the emperor, which was praised by the imperial court. In this way, the Wuwei folk dance fish lantern is preserved.

At the end of 1955, Wuwei Yudeng took part in the first folk music and dance performance in Anhui Province. In 1956, Wuwei Yudeng went to Huairen Hall in Beijing to participate in the national folk music and dance performance and won high praise.