The Xitieying Huabo Drum Dance is a representative folk dance in Beijing, originally part of one of the thirteen martial arts troupes formed spontaneously by locals for temple fair pilgrimages during the Qing Dynasty. It is prevalent in Zhongding Village, under the administration of Xitieying Village Public Office in Nanyuan Township, Fengtai District. Locally, it is also known as the “Big Drum and Old Temple Fair” or the “Huabo Drum”. The name “Xitieying Huabo Drum” was officially adopted after the Beijing volume of the Collection of Chinese Ethnic and Folk Dances unified under the name for this type of folk dance as “Huabo Drum” during a citywide survey of folk dances in the early 1980s.
The Xitieying Huabo Drum has a history of over 300 years, established alongside the Zhongding Temple Fair. It gained imperial recognition during a performance for the Qianlong Emperor, who bestowed upon it the honorary title “, Big Drum and Old Temple Fair” It is one of the thirteen traditional festival activities of ancient Beijing.
As a significant folk dance in Beijing, the Xitieying Huabo Drum Dance was originally organized by the local population during the Qing Dynasty, with the primary purpose of participating in incense offerings and performing acts of piety. Although it has been primarily recognized as an incense society activity, its role as a folk dance, using body language to convey emotions, is crucial for understanding the development of folk dances during the Ming and Qing periods.
The study of Xitieying Huabo Drum Dance focuses on the following four aspects: the current research status and significance, the characteristic movements, the relationship between Huabo Dance, the Drum, and the Chenzi (a percussion instrument), and the reasons behind the formation of the unique movements of the Huabo Dance.