Bohanbing: Inheritor of elephant-foot drum dancing

Having practiced the elephant-foot drum dance for decades, Bohanbing is confident of handing down this precious cultural heritage to the younger generation.

As a kind of popular dance of the Dai ethnic minority in Yunnan Province, the elephant-foot drum dance is based on the Dai martial arts and performed by males. In the dance, drums that resemble elephant’s foot is played, along with gongs and cymbals.

Bohanbing, 55 years old, comes from Mandan Village, south Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. He has been interested in the Dai martial arts and the elephant-foot drum dance since his childhood. Bohanbing started to learn the dance systematically at the age of 23 and spent about four years in learning the Dai martial arts as well.

After years of practice, he has become a famous dancer and is invited to perform in various festivals and ceremonies. Under his influence, many young people come to learn the dance from him. So far, he has taught 132 students, most of whom are now able to perform well without his assistance. Some of them even become masters and teach their own apprentices.

Bohanbing regards the elephant-foot drum dance as a indispensable part of his life. All kinds of elephant-foot drums, big or small, can be found at his home. “I just love dancing. I can spend a whole day with my drums.” At the end of last year, Bohanbing was selected into the fifth batch of representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage. “I have the confidence to pass on the cultural legacy to the next generation,” he said.

Editor: Wang Shixue