Folk percussions stir up tradition in Beijing

Beijing came to life with the buzz of percussion last weekend to mark the Jing Zhe Solar Term. Literally meaning the "Stirring of Insects", the Chinese lunar calendar event coincided with a new musical festival. Now, let's get an earful of the folk percussionists who welcomed the occasion with thunderous music.

A strike of an large gong ushered in Beijing's first-ever Folk Percussions  Festival.

A strike of an large gong ushered in Beijing's first-ever Folk Percussions Festival. Divided into three parts including the Arrival of Spring, Stirring of Insects, and Farming Dances, the event brought together some of the capital's best folk musicians and dancers.

The festival was held at the Nan Luo Gu Xiang hutong, a centuries-old neighborhood. Jing Zhe bears practical significance among Chinese people. Many can trace their roots to rural areas, where resounding percussion music was used to stir insects still dormant in hibernation.

Zhao Su said, "Traditionally there are lots of games concerning the Jing Zhe Solar Term. People would draw a dragon on the ground. Also they would play a game with stone balls."

Festival organizers say the Folk Percussion Festival will be held annually in the future, and more folk traditions relating to the Jing Zhe Solar Term will be revived in Beijing.