Taixing brings traditional folk arts to life through training programs

Students practice Taixing Flower Drum dance. [Photo/Taizhou Daily]

Traditional arts are finding new audiences in Taixing, Jiangsu province, as local training programs help preserve and revitalize two distinctive forms of intangible cultural heritage.

On July 23, a public class in Taixing Flower Drum, a national-level intangible cultural heritage item, was held at the Taixing Cultural and Art Center, filling the dance studio with lively rhythms and youthful energy.

Li Zhenxia, a provincial-level representative inheritor, together with instructors Liu Qin and Wang Zihan, demonstrated classic movements and guided students through the techniques. The young students gave careful attention to the beat, practicing head movements, waist twists, knee bends and tiptoe steps. As the colorful ribbons on their bamboo clappers swayed and the crisp tapping sounds echoed through the room, the charm of the centuries-old folk dance came alive. With a history of more than 300 years, Taixing Flower Drum is a traditional folk dance grounded in local culture at its core. To keep the art form relevant in modern times, local inheritors have developed new performance formats, including a version designed for square dancing, while preserving traditional melodies and signature movements. The team has also brought the art form into schools and universities, incorporating it into dance education programs to encourage younger generations to learn and pass on the heritage.

Students learn to control wooden puppets. [Photo/Taizhou Daily]

Meanwhile, at the Taixing Opera Troupe, another intangible cultural heritage program, the Taixing rod puppet theater training class, was also in full swing. Participants focused on mastering the delicate skills required to control wooden puppets weighing several kilograms, using precise finger movements to perform gestures such as raising hands, turning heads, waving sleeves and walking.

As one of the key birthplaces of Chinese rod puppet art, Taixing has a history of around 200 years in the craft.

"Through classroom training, campus outreach, skill development and creative innovation, we are continuously revitalizing intangible cultural heritage, ensuring these two local art forms can be passed down for generations," said Li.