Nan Guangcai - Inheritor of Dai Elephant Drum-playing Skill in Longyang District, Baoshan

Nan Guangcai (赧光才, born May 1968) from Daxinzai Group (大新寨组), Mangkua Community (芒宽社区), Mangkua Township (芒宽乡), Longyang District (隆阳区), Baoshan Prefecture (保山市), Yunnan Province (云南省), is a provincial-level representative inheritor of Dai (傣族) Xiangjiao Drum Dance (象脚鼓舞).

His artistic career spans the pivotal period when this western Yunnan traditional dance evolved from rural ritual performance to modern stage art. As a living carrier of “Water Culture” (水文化) along the Ruili River (瑞丽江), he has dedicated over 50 years to transforming Dai Xiangjiao Drum Dance from festival entertainment into a nationally recognized cultural symbol, earning the title “The Drum Dance Heir of Nujiang Gorge” (怒江峡谷的舞鼓传人).

Artistic Training and Style

Nan Guangcai was immersed in the Dai cultural tradition of “dancing with water” (依水而舞) from childhood:

• Age 8: Began systematic training in Xiangjiao Drum Dance under his father.

• Age 14: Could perform core dance sections including Fish Leaps over the Dragon Gate (鱼跃龙门) and Dragon Tail Swing (龙摆尾).

• Age 20: Became the youngest lead dancer locally, mastering bent-knee small steps (simulating fish swimming) and wave-like arm movements (symbolizing flowing river water), conveying the Dai reverence for nature.

His style fuses the elegance of Dai Peacock Dance (孔雀舞) with the strength of Great Drum Dance (大鼓舞), forming a delicate-yet-vivid, rhythmically dynamic art. In Along the Ruili River (瑞丽江畔), he excels at shoulder waves and S-shaped waist movements, evoking fish weaving through river currents.

In 2001, he won the Silver Prize for Dai Village Drum Dance (傣乡鼓舞) at the Yunnan Folk Dance and Song Exhibition (云南省民族民间歌舞展演), marking the beginning of his professional career.

Core Skills and Cultural Preservation

Living Inheritance of Xiangjiao Drum Dance

Nan Guangcai has fully preserved the movement vocabulary and ritual procedures of Dai Xiangjiao Drum Dance:

• Biomimetic Performance: In Slash-and-Burn Agriculture (刀耕火种), he replicates traditional farming with forward lunges and side rotations; in Mountain-Chasing Dance (撵山舞), bow-and-arrow gestures and animal-fighting movements reflect ancestral hunting wisdom.

• Ritual Integrity: Strictly follows “Invite Water Spirits – Purification – Dance – Thank Spirits” (请水神—净身—起舞—谢神) in festivals such as Water Splashing Festival (泼水节) and New Rice Festival (新米节), preserving the Dai ecological ethic of “honoring water through dance.” His Xiangjiao Drum Dance Ritual (象脚鼓舞祭仪) is recognized by Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学) as a living example of western Yunnan minority water culture.

Reviving Endangered Dances

When fewer than 10 elders could fully perform Xiangjiao Drum Dance, Nan Guangcai led a field revival project:

• Movement Archiving: Visited 12 Dai villages (傣族村寨) in Longyang District, documenting endangered dances like Spotted Dove Dance (斑鸠舞) and Flower-Piercing Dance (穿花舞), recording 30 hours of footage.

• Technique Reconstruction: Integrated traditional crossbow movements into Xiangjiao Drum Dance, creating Crossbow Dance Harmony (弩舞同辉), revitalizing ancient hunting techniques.

• Instrument Innovation: Improved Xiangjiao Drum construction using lightweight fir wood and python skin, preserving rich tone while enhancing portability; recognized as a heritage innovation model by Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (云南省文旅厅).

Comprehensive Transmission System

Nan Guangcai established a three-tier inheritance network:

• Family Transmission: His son Yan Wendang (岩温胆) learned from childhood, now independently performing core rituals like Drum Surface Consecration (鼓面开光), representing the fifth generation.

• Ritual Practice: Hosts annual Water Splashing Festival Xiangjiao Drum Parade (泼水节象脚鼓舞巡游), training 15 dancers and 5 assistants into a stable troupe.

• Community Teaching: Founded Nan Guangcai Xiangjiao Drum Dance Training Center (赧光才象脚鼓舞传习所) using oral + situational teaching (口传身授 + 情境教学), training over 40 disciples; chief disciple Yu Wang (玉旺) independently leads Joyful Group Drum Dance (群鼓欢腾) and co-developed Xiangjiao Drum Fitness (象脚鼓舞健身操) for local schools.

Cultural Communication and Innovation

National Platform Recognition

• Official Recognition: Named provincial-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor in 2014. Featured on CCTV Borderlands Journey (边疆行); Douyin teaching videos exceeded 2 million views.

• Awards: Led troupe to Silver Prize for Fish Rhythm along Ruili River (瑞丽江鱼韵) at 2019 Yunnan Folk Dance and Song Exhibition; won Best Choreography Award.

• High-End Stage Innovation: Collaborated with Yunnan Arts University (云南艺术学院) in 2025 to produce digital long scroll Frontier Drum Rhythms (极边鼓韵) using motion capture, achieving over 3 million views on “Xuexi Qiangguo” (学习强国) platform.

Tourism and Festival Innovation

• Festival Empowerment: Organizes Mangkua Xiangjiao Drum Cultural Festival (芒宽象脚鼓文化节) during Water Splashing Festival, including cross-genre performances like Dai-Han Drum Harmony (傣汉鼓乐), attracting over 500,000 online viewers.

• Immersive Tourism: Designed Xiangjiao Drum Dance Immersive Experience Center (象脚鼓舞沉浸式体验中心) at Lujiangba Coffee Plantation (潞江坝万亩咖啡园), hosting over 20,000 visitors annually, boosting local income by 1,500 RMB per person.

Heritage Protection and Policy Practice

Systematic Preservation

• Digital Archiving: Partnered with Yunnan Minzu University to create 3D-scanned archives of 25 core movements; developed VR teaching system on “Xuexi Qiangguo” platform.

• Reviving Classical Performances: Restaged endangered plays like The White Elephant Saves the Hero (白象救主) and The Deer’s Gratitude (马鹿报恩), enhanced with modern stage design.

Policy and Community Support

• Funding: Secured provincial heritage funds for training center, equipment, and stipends.

• Community Programs: Established Ruili River Xiangjiao Drum Lecture Troupe (瑞丽江象脚鼓宣讲团), integrating Dai chants with policy education; series Ethnic Unity, One Family (民族团结一家亲) recognized by Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture.

Challenges and Innovation

Challenges include:

• Generational Gap: Xiangjiao Drum Dance training takes 8–10 years; average disciple age 45; only 6 under 30.

• Market Limitations: Stage performances have limited audiences; cultural product development is still at an early stage.

Innovation Approaches

• Digital Empowerment: Collaborated with Huawei “Digital Intangible Heritage” project; VR system achieved over 1.5 million views.

• Cross-Genre Fusion: Integrated Xiangjiao Drum elements with modern street dance in Drums Leap to the Future (鼓跃未来), exceeding 5 million Douyin views.

• School Engagement: Launched specialty classes at Longyang District Ethnic Middle School (隆阳区民族中学), producing 12 professional dancers through arts-exam pathways.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Nan Guangcai’s work has threefold significance:

• Historical Research: Preserved Dai chants and Xiangjiao Drum rituals provide a living model for studying western Yunnan Dai society and religion.

• Ethnic Cohesion: In multi-ethnic Longyang District (隆阳区), his troupe includes Dai, Han, Yi, and others, promoting cultural integration; recognized as a “Model Team for Ethnic Unity in Yunnan” (云南省民族团结进步示范团队).

• Educational Innovation: His “Field Teaching + Stage Practice” method is a provincial model intangible cultural heritage program promoted across 16 prefectures.

As Nan Guangcai says:

“The Xiangjiao Drum is not just an instrument—it is the life rhythm engraved in the Dai blood.”

Through balancing tradition and innovation, he has led Dai Xiangjiao Drum Dance from Nujiang Gorge to the international stage, exemplifying the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.