Zhan Mie - Inheritor of Dai "Fish Dance" in Ruili City, Dehong 

Zhan Mie (Dai name: [specific Dai name], born 1958) from Dengxiu Village (等秀村), Nongdao Town (弄岛镇), Ruili City (瑞丽市), Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture (德宏傣族景颇族自治州), Yunnan Province (云南省), is a provincial-level representative inheritor of Dai (傣族) fish dance.

His artistic career spans the critical period when this traditional western Yunnan dance transitioned from ritual performance to modern stage art. As a living carrier of “Fish Culture” (鱼文化) along the Ruili River (瑞丽江), he has dedicated over 60 years to transforming Dai fish dance from ritual practice into a nationally recognized cultural symbol, earning the title “The Fish Dance Master of Ruili River” (瑞丽江的舞鱼人).

Family Heritage and Artistic Training

Zhan Mie was born into a Dai “Gaba” (嘎巴, fish dance) family. Immersed from childhood in the Dai “dance by the water” (依水而舞) tradition:

• Age 8: Began formal training under his father and national-level inheritor Rui Ban (瑞板) in fish dance.

• Age 14: Could perform core dance sections including Fish Leaps over the Dragon Gate (鱼跃龙门) and Fish Play in the Waves (群鱼戏浪).

• Age 20: Became the youngest lead dancer in his area, mastering fish-like hand gestures (one hand covering the other with thumb extended) and bent-knee steps to precisely simulate carp tail flips, grass carp diving, and other fish movements.

His style fuses the softness of Dai Peacock Dance (孔雀舞) with the power of Elephant Foot Drum Dance (象脚鼓舞), forming a fluid, nuanced style of alternating tension and relaxation. In Fish Plays Among the Lotus (鱼戏荷间), he excels at conveying the vision of fish weaving through lotus ponds using shoulder waves and S-shaped waist movements.

In 1985, he won the Silver Prize for Dai Homeland Fish Leaps (傣乡鱼跃) at the Yunnan Folk Dance and Song Exhibition (云南省民族民间歌舞展演), marking the start of his professional career.

Core Skills and Cultural Preservation

Living Inheritance of Fish Dance

Zhan Mie has fully preserved the movements and ritual procedures of Dai fish dance:

• Biomimetic Performance: In Chasing Fish (追鱼), he mimics fish swimming upstream with small jumps and flips; in Fish Transforms into Dragon (鱼化龙), he combines props and fire effects (adapted from Ming Dynasty “Fish-Dragon Continuity” technique, 鱼龙曼延) to perform the carp leaping over the dragon gate myth.

• Ritual Integrity: Strictly follows “Invite Water Spirit – Purification – Dance – Thank the Spirit” (请水神—净身—起舞—谢神), sustaining the Dai ecological ethos through collective improvisation during Water Festival (泼水节) and New Rice Festival (新米节). His fish dance rituals are recognized by Yunnan Minzu University (云南民族大学) as a living example of western Yunnan minority water culture.

Reviving Endangered Dances

Facing the near-extinction of fish dance, with fewer than 10 elders able to perform:

• Archiving Movements: Surveyed 12 Dai villages (傣族村寨) in Ruili, documenting endangered dance sections like Spotted Dove Dance (斑鸠舞) and Flower-Piercing Dance (穿花舞), recording 40 hours of original footage.

• Technique Reconstruction: Integrated Bull-Chasing Dance (镖牛舞) movements to create Fish-Bull Symbiosis (鱼牛共生), revitalizing ritual dances.

• Prop Innovation: Upgraded traditional fish lanterns with lightweight aluminum frames and LED strips, retaining bamboo craftsmanship while enhancing stage appeal; recognized as a heritage innovation model by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism (云南省文旅厅).

Comprehensive Transmission System

Zhan Mie established a three-tier inheritance network:

• Family Transmission: His son Yan Wendan (岩温胆) learned from childhood, now capable of performing core rituals like Fish Lantern Consecration (鱼灯开光), representing the fifth generation.

• Ritual Practice: Leads annual Water Festival fish dance parades, training 15 dancers and 5 assistants into a stable troupe.

• Community Teaching: Founded the Zhan Mie Fish Dance Training Center (占咩鱼舞传习所) in Dengxiu Village, using oral, physical, and scenario-based instruction. Trained over 40 disciples; chief disciple Yu Wang (玉旺) independently leads Joyful Fish Ensemble (群鱼欢腾) and co-developed Fish Dance Fitness (鱼舞健身操) 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 Ruili River Fish Charm (瑞丽江鱼韵) at the 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 the digital long scroll Fish Leaps Over Dragon Gate (鱼跃龙门) using motion capture, reaching over 3 million views on the “Xuexi Qiangguo” (学习强国) platform.

Tourism and Festival Innovation

• Festival Empowerment: Organizes Dengxiu Fish Lantern Cultural Festival (等秀鱼灯文化节) during Water Festival, including cross-genre performance Dai-Han Fish Joy (傣汉鱼乐), attracting over 500,000 online viewers.

• Immersive Tourism: Designed Fish Dance Immersive Experience Center (鱼舞沉浸式体验中心) at “One Village, Two Countries” Scenic Area (一寨两国), hosting over 20,000 participants annually, increasing 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 fish dance movements; developed VR teaching system available 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) using modern stage design.

Policy and Community Support

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

• Community Programs: Established Ruili River Fish Dance Lecture Troupe (瑞丽江鱼舞宣讲团), integrating Dai language and heritage performance with policy education. Their series Ethnic Unity, One Family (民族团结一家亲) was recognized by the Yunnan Provincial Department of Culture.

Challenges and Innovation

Challenges include:

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

• Market Limitations: Ritual performances attract limited audiences; cultural products yield low profit.

Innovation Approaches

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

• Cross-Genre Fusion: Integrated fish dance with modern street dance in Fish Leaps into the Future (鱼跃未来), exceeding 5 million Douyin views.

• School Engagement: Launched fish dance specialty classes at Ruili Ethnic Middle School (瑞丽市民族中学), producing 12 professional dancers through arts-exam pathways.

Cultural Value and Contemporary Significance

Zhan Mie’s work has threefold significance:

• Historical Research: Preserved Dai music and fish dance rituals provide a living model for studying western Yunnan Dai society and religion.

• Ethnic Cohesion: In multi-ethnic Ruili City (瑞丽市), his troupe includes Dai, Jingpo, Han, and other members, 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 Zhan Mie says:

“Fish dance is not just body movement—it is the life rhythm engraved in Dai blood.”

Balancing tradition and innovation, he has led Dai fish dance from the Ruili River (瑞丽江) to international stages, demonstrating the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.