From 1978, Gaocheng Golden Cymbal and War Drum has changed the traditional performing style. Starting from drumbeats, costumes and stage property, all kinds of schools and various styles of war drum formations have been merged and connected increasing dance vocabulary, optimizing war drum formations and setting off the modern features.
Golden Cymbal and War Drum(金钹战鼓jīnbó zhàngǔ), original named war drum, originated from the sacrificial rites, the essential dance team to pray for rain and pay respects to temples. It prevailed in the middle part of Hebei Province during the period of Tianbao (742-755) in the Tang Dynasty(唐代天宝年间Tángdài Tiānbǎo niánjiān), especially in Gaocheng City(藁城Gǎochéng).
Golden Cymbal and War Drum is a sort of female group dance of the Hans accompanied by playing bass drums, cymbals and gongs, and cymbals as its dance instrument. Because teams compete with each other when they meet, the natives call it “fighting drum”(斗鼓dòugǔ) or “morale drum”(气鼓qìgǔ). In the later Qing Dynasty, Golden Cymbal and War Drum went to Tianjin to take part in the performances of Royal Party and made a sensation through Beijing and Tianjin, therefore, was crowned as “the best drum of the world”.
After 1949, Golden Cymbal and War Drum has developed to over 100 War Drum associations, mainly distributed over the southern area of Gaocheng that has become the main performing program in some important festival celebrations and formed four schools. The school headed by Huangjiazhuang(黄家庄Huángjiāzhuāng) association with its performing feature fierce and powerful and its representative works are “Capturing Caocao”(拿曹操ná Cáocāo) and “Overlord’s Whip”(霸王鞭bàwángbiān). The one headed by Mazhuang(马庄Mǎzhuāng) association with its feature coupling hardness with softness and its representative works are “Phoenix Open the Wings”(凤凰展翅fènghuángzhǎnchì) and “Dragon Stirring the Sea”(蛟龙闹海jiāolóngnàohǎi). The one headed by Tushancun(土山村Tǔshān Cūn) association with its feature swift steps and its representative works are “the Eight Diagrams Battle”(八卦战bāguàzhàn) and “Duihua Battle” (对花战duìhuāzhàn). And the one headed by Wujiecun(五界村Wǔjiè Cūn) with its feature strong feelings of modern times and its representative works are “the Connected Maze Made by the Eight Diagrams”(八卦连环阵bāguàliánhuánzhèn) and “a Dragon Beating Two Tigers”(一龙破二虎yìlóngpò’èrhǔ). These four schools are all of wide range of actions and great strength. The team members who play the cymbals emphasize the actions of jumping, striding, rolling, parrying, somersaulting, stretching and moving, which has combined all the features of Golden Cymbal and War Drum.
