The Origin of Changli Yangko

Changli Yangko, as a traditional folk art of Han nationality, was first produced in Yuan Dynasty and has a history of more than 1000 years. The ancestors of Changli expressed their feelings through free dancing, tempered their character, and pinned their yearning for a better life in order to pray for good weather and abundant crops. This is the prototype of Changli Yangko. She was handed down from generation to generation by Changli people, from simple to complex, from low to high. From the stall to the stage, a relatively perfect art category has gradually formed. Over the years, every New Year's Day or festive day, local yangko teams have spread all over the urban and rural areas of Changli, and people's self-entertainment, self-performance and self-expression have become the traditional customs handed down from generation to generation by Changli people.

At the beginning of Changli Yangko, both male and female roles were played by men, which can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty. As Mongolian women are more open, the role of girls played by women has emerged. Because yangko can be improvised, there is a clown wearing a tassel hat, which has been preserved in Changli's yangko performance art until now. The previous Changli Yangko was not a simple dance, but a combination of song and dance. Until the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, the singing part turned to stage arts such as Lotus Falls, Errenzhuan and Ju Ping, and the dance part gradually evolved into the existing pure dance form.

Due to the geographical location of Changli and the influence of war, immigration and other factors, Changli Yangko has been integrated into the folk art of other nationalities and regions in its development. For example, during the beginning and performance of yangko, Shaolin sticks were used to clear the way, and the rhythm of Fengyang songs was mixed into yangko tunes, which was directly related to a large number of immigrants from Shandong and Henan. Another example is; The clown's shoulder shaking action has obvious Mongolian dance characteristics. There was a girl stepping on an inch in the song of Diyang, which was influenced by Manchu costumes.