Archaeological findings from a tomb in the Song Dynasty reveal that the Ansai Waist Drum has a history of at least 1,000 years. Yet its origin dates back much further.

According to one story goes, in the Qin (221-206BC) and Han (206BC-220AD) dynasties when Ansai was a fort on the frontier, waist drums were delivered to every soldier stationed there along with weapons. They were used to set alarms, convey military intelligence, boost morale, and celebrate victories. Later, the Ansai Waist Drum evolved into a form of folk dance, in which people prayed for godly blessings and good harvests.

A new era began for the Ansai Waist Drum in 1936 as the CCP (China Communist Party) Red Army arrived in Yan'an in northern Shaanxi after the Long March. Along with the army came progressive intellectuals and artists, setting the stage for the innovation of northern Shaanxi folk culture. The New Yangge (a rural folk dance) Movement that flourished after 1942 was the fruit of this innovation. Hence, the Ansai Waist Drum was enriched in both form and content, and became the victory drum for people to celebrate their liberation.

Nowadays, the Ansai Waist Drum still retains its huge popularity. Almost every village in Ansai County has their own Waist Drum team, celebrating such occasions as the Spring Festival and temple fairs.

The popularity the Ansai Waist Drum enjoys earns a handsome profit for local drummers. Nearly a third of the over 6,000 folk drummers take it as a profession, making their living by either performing or teaching people from other places how to perform the waist drum.

Taiping Drum Dance-the Drum Dance in Expectation of Peace and Prosperity

Taiping Drum Dance is a form of traditional folk art popular in the suburban area of Lanzhou City. The drum is shaped like a big cylinder, about 70 centimeters high and 45 centimeters in diameter.

There have been quite a number of versions concerning its origin. One of them is associated with Xu Da, a general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) who, under the order of the emperor, led a western expedition in an effort to unite the country. Unable to conquer Lanzhou in the first offensive, he sought other means.

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