Wanrong coloratura drum is a folk dance performed on Shehuo festival (one of the traditional and ancient customs in northern China.) or other festivals. It is said that the drum is originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the Yungang Grottoes, people have found a dancing stone statue with flower drum on its chest as proof. It is also said that in the Song Dynasty, when Zheng En hit melons in the garden which produce the sound just like striking the flower drum, so people proceeded to make the flower drum as the shape of Zheng's melon.
Wanrong coloratura drum has three forms: the first is low drum, namely waist drum; The second kind is high drum, namely chest drum; The third kind is multi-drum, with the drum fastened at head, chest, right shoulder and between two legs. At most, a person can be tied to more than 10 drums.
Wanrong coloratura drum's gestures, expressions and motions have aesthetic feeling and expressive force. Its movements are strong and handsome seeming like the tiger's majesty and the ape's agility. A local proverb says, "striking the drum with hands and beating the gong with feet; the cymbal looks like the shaking head."(referring to the low drum), "keeping heads up and feet move to combine the formula, gong and drum together" (referring to the high drum). It has a lot of sets including a bit of oil, wind stirring snow, dry fried beans, dog biting, phoenix nods three times, and also two hammers, tight three hammers, four hammers, five hammers, walking around the stage, dragon tail and so on. It has a long history, unique style, setting dance, drama, sports in one with strong local features and important value.
