The Taiping Drum Dance is a folk dance that originated among the common people who used it as a form of self-entertainment. It first appeared in Bejing during theMing Dynasty(1368-1644) and became common during theQing Dynasty(1644-1911).
After it spread to Mentougou District during the late Qing Dynasty, the dance was performed in many villages among men and women, young and old. There was even a Taiping Drum on New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar in the imperial palace, because its name "Taiping" connotes peace and tranquility. Hence it is also named "Yingnian Drum", as a means of welcoming the New Year.
Characterized by its distinct local flavor in terms of the skillful drum beat and the changing steps and formation, the dance is especially popular from the twelfth lunar month to the first lunar month the next year and people dance it in the hopes for peace and prosperity in the new year. Taiping Drum, the instrument, has become a cultural symbol of this region.
