Xinyi Piaose is showed on the street in Zhenlong town of Xinyi, attracting many people to watch. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Xinyi Piaose is a traditional folk activity based in Xinyi county-level city, Maoming, Guangdong. On Lantern Festival, Nian Li or other significant festivals, Piaose parades can be nearly found in Zhenlong town of Xinyi, attracting villagers around and even overseas Xinyi people to watch them.
Xinyi Piaose has its distinctive features, including gorgeous colors, special styles, interesting devices, popular contents and exquisite ingenuity. The best example of Xinyi Piaose is several custom players standing on one board. Up to 28 people, the largest number ever in China, stood on a board measuring 6.5m high and 8.8m wide.
Highlight of Piaose is definitely the characters. How eye-pleasing their dressing and how well their performance is has a direct impact one the quality of Piaose parade. Therefore, the parade team would carefully select little boys and girls ranging in age from 7 to 9 for parades in and outside their villages. Only handsome and smart kids with performing talent would be enrolled for Piaose parade.
For Piaose, the most important steps include making segeng, a steel bracket for supporting the characters, keeping platform balanced and steady with application of mechanical principle, and arranging the artistic layout and styles of characters.
A group of kids perform Piaose in Xinyi. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Xinyi Piaose combines lifestyle, art and culture. It not only brings people fun and aesthetic delight but also educates people. Content of Piaose parade in the past mainly focused on legends, historical allusions and heroic stories. It gradually developed over time with blend of dancing and acrobatics. People convey their best wishes during the Piaose performances and enrich its contents and form with new subjects from daily life.
We are unable to trace the origin of Xinyi Piaose. However, from a historical perspective, we believe that, this primitive worship and blessing rite was performed by peasants to pray to God for getting rid of evilness and illness, preserving health and safety, and having harvest.
In 2007, Xinyi Piaose was inscribed on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Maoming Municipality. In 2009, it was inscribed on the 3rd Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Guangdong Province. Over years, Xinyi Piaose received multiple golden awards in China’s Piaose performances.
Click here to find out more about Nian Li, unique traditional festival in west Guangdong.
Gaozhou craftsman makes paper boats for Nian Li celebrations
A Piaose performance named "phoenix spreading wings". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "a family letter sent by a boy on a bamboo reporting all is well". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "fish leaping over the dragon gate". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "achieving success with horse". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "wonderland with flat peach". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "golden dragon rising up". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "Goddess Chang's fly to the moon". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "golden sheep showing auspicious sign". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "scoring big points". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Part of the Piaose performance named "scoring big points". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "Avalokitesvara offering blessing". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A Piaose performance named "like a tiger with wings". [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
A kid prepares for Piaose performance. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Kids performing Piaose on the street, attracting crowds. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Kids performing Piaose on the street, attractingcrowds. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Two kids perform Piaose, holding a potted plant together. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Piaose parade on the street. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
A kid stands on a leg during Piaose performance. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Kids pose in Piaose performance. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
Kids pose in Piaose performance. [Photo/Maoming News Network]
