I @ Yangtze River Delta | in the first month, there is a "boat" in the Yangtze River Delta floating on the ground instead of water

Lu Binggen

Dancing dry boats and singing boat songs, chic folklore exists in the memories of many people, and is now slowly recovering.

In the Yangtze River Delta, from the second day of the first lunar month of the New Year to the second day of the first month of February, there is a unique "dance" that exists in the memory of many people and is now slowly recovering.

Dry boat dance, formerly known as "dragon dance ship", "color boat", "flower dragon boat", "eight immortal boat", etc., is a traditional entertainment activity of folk new year and festive harvest, which is widely spread in some areas of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui. Activities are mainly held from the second day of the first lunar month to the second day of february. In the countryside, there is a saying that "on the second of February, the dragon rises", and it is said that on this day, the dry boat will be returned to the Queen Mother's mother, and at this time, the dry boat made of the system will be burned, called "the transformation ship".

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The dry boat dance in Meixi, my hometown, has been included in the provincial intangible cultural protection list. The scene of the dry boat dance that I used to do in the first month of my childhood is clearly in front of my eyes again. Whenever the dry boat dance is performed, the whole township will be immersed in the ocean of dry boat dance. At that time, I, a child who liked to be lively, was a crazy "star chaser".

In my memory, the dry boat dance of that year was such a picture:

Before the performance, generally each village must first organize a dry fleet, tie a boat, the boat is made of bamboo strips, like a boat-shaped middle cabin is empty, by the boatman into a two-hand boat, the hull is pasted with five-colored paper, but also painted with patterns, the workmanship is very exquisite. There are eight members - four gongs and drums; two singers who sing boat songs, that is, "boat abductors"; one person on a boat; and one clown.

The forms of Meixi dry boat activities mainly include "worshiping menzi" and "meditating places". Bai menzi is a song and dance that goes door to door along the town street, sees what to sing, and says auspicious and pleasing lyrics, and wishes the master a smooth development in the coming year. After the singing, the host family will often give candy and red envelopes to show their gratitude.

I still remember that on the sixth day of the first lunar month of one year, the dry boat fleet of Qinyi Village (now Meixi Village) was in front of my shop to visit the door, and my mother took a red envelope for me to send over.

The meditation ground, to be performed on a larger venue, was often performed in the large playground in our town. During the performance, dance movements are carried out in chronological order, and there are various repertoire such as "Worship the Four Doors", "Lotus Flowers inside and lotus flowers outside", "Back Fiber, Release Fiber", "Old Dragon Lying on the Beach", "Scattered Flowers Left and Right", etc. The formations are constantly changing, and various boat songs are sung at the same time.

At that time, several large villages near the town had a dry fleet of "strong soldiers and strong horses" and exquisite clothing. In the dry boat team, the "boat kidnapper" is very important, not only responsible for singing, but also directing the dance formation and movement of the team, and has a heavy responsibility in the song competition, directly determining the win or loss of the team.

Dry boat songs are rich and colorful, and there are dozens of traditional sets. The lyrics rhyme, are easy to understand, and have a strong improvisation. One lead singer, everyone helps, interspersed with dance formations, and it is very ornamental. Especially the clown dressed as a woman, wearing red and green, holding a banana fan, hanging a large cigarette pot around the neck, "she" will be based on the content of the song, with a variety of dance moves, or twist the waist or hips or bend the arms, in short, a variety of shapes, the crowd endured and clapped, frequent applause.

At the beginning of the performance, the gongs and drums are banging, the firecrackers are put together, the audience is bustling, sometimes singing for hours, everyone sings boat songs, celebrates the harvest, prays for a good omen of the coming year, and is lively and festive. Sing well, the audience won't go, you have to keep singing. If you happen to run into another village playing dry boats, it's even more interesting. The two dry fleets must compete for a high position. What's more exciting is that the strength of the two teams is not divided, often from the night to pick the lights and sing to the chicken in the morning, and it has not yet decided to win or lose.

Dancing dry boats and singing boat songs is not only one of the main local entertainment and leisure methods, but also a way for people to inherit traditional culture. More than half a century has passed, and with the revitalization of rural traditional culture, it is expected that the dry boat dance, a traditional culture that has been passed down for hundreds of years, will "dance" again.