On March 17, Ministry of Culture and Tourism of PRC publicized the List of Six Batch of Representative Inheritors of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Items. 58 intangible cultural heritage inheritors in Guangdong Province have been selected for the List, including one from Longgang District of Shenzhen, named Zhang Zhiming. Henceforth, Zhang becomes the first representative inheritor of national intangible cultural heritage item, in Longgang District.
According to Chinese ancient folklore, Kirin is an auspicious animal, which could drive out evils. Kirin Dance is a kind of Chinese traditional performance which mimics the movements of the animal. It is said Kirin Dance originated in late Ming Dynasty of China.
Bantian·Yongshengtang Kirin Dance Team was formed in 1840. And, Bantian·Yongshengtang Kirin Dance was chosen as an intangible cultural heritage item of the nation in 2011.
Zhang, at the age of 66, is the 11th-generation inheritor of Yongshengtang Kirin Dance, who learned it from a very young age. After giving up performing Kirin Dance and making his life in Hong Kong for a certain time, he invested a great deal of money he earned in the development of Kirin Dance and Yongshengtang Kirin Dance Team
“It is better to bring Kirin Dance to school rather than shelve it at the museum, as the traditional culture of China should be spread among the younger generation” Zhang expressed, “As long as I live, I would try my best to develop new powers to inherit Kirin Dance, to pass it down from generation to generation and to spread it”.
Zhang Zhiming performing Kirin Dance
