The rhythmic sound of drums and sticks reverberated through the China Pavilion at the 2025 Osaka World Expo this week as the Nanshan Yingge Troupe from Puning City, Guangdong Province, took center stage during the Guangdong Week event.
Behind this Yingge Dance team is the unwavering dedication of Chen Laifa, who was recently named one of the 2024 "Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) Persons of the Year." He was honored for his lifelong commitment to revitalizing and internationalizing this art form.
Born in 1957, Chen joined his first Yingge troupe at age 18 and has been dancing ever since. Over nearly five decades, he has evolved from a performer to the director and choreographer of the Nanshan Yingge Troupe, innovating and modernizing while remaining faithful to tradition.
Puning Yingge also made waves during the 2024 "Happy Chinese New Year" celebration in London, supported by the Chinese Embassy in the UK and the London Chinatown Chamber of Commerce. The energetic street performance drew a crowd of over 700,000, offering locals an immersive experience of traditional Chinese culture.
Yingge's popularity has also surged via the Internet. During the 2024 Spring Festival, related hashtags on Douyin (China's version of TikTok) amassed over 4.5 billion views. The dance's cultural boom contributed to a 1.83-fold year-on-year increase in lifestyle-related service orders in the city of Jieyang.
Today, Yingge is not just a regional folk dance; it is a cultural ambassador on the world stage. With Chen Laifa as its champion, Puning Yingge continues to blend tradition with innovation, inspiring audiences across the globe while preserving the essence of China's living heritage.
Reporter | Tang Chusheng
Editor | Wei Shen, James, Shen He
