Xiuyan single drum is an ancient sacrificial custom spread among the people of Xiuyan, commonly known as "burning incense". The Manchus call it "flag incense" and the Han call it "min incense". Since the Xiuyan single drum entered Xiuyan in the late Ming Dynasty, it has a history of nearly 400 years. The early Xiuyan single drum was born out of the "shaman" sacrificial rituals of the Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchus. Its popularity in Xiuyan was limited to the Manchu people. It has a history of repairing the old, and then it was gradually adopted by the Han culture. In the past, the "burning incense" of the Manchu and Han people in Xiuyan was mainly for worshiping gods, ancestors, and fulfilling vows. It was a sacrificial activity, and then it gradually developed into a program with more entertainment. Recently, at the home of Yuan Degui, a 73-year-old single drum artist in Shancheng Village, Linggou Township, Xiuyan Manchu Autonomous County, Yuan performed the folk art of single drum for reporters. The performance form is flexible and constantly innovative. Before the performance, Mr. Yuan Degui took out the Taiping drum and roasted it by the stove for a while. He said that the house was humid and it had to be roasted before each performance so that the drum could sound. After putting on a series of costumes such as the five-featured hat, colorful skirt, waist bell, and drum, Mr. Yuan Degui held the Taiping drum in his left hand and the drumstick in his right hand and began to perform with the rhythm of the drum beats and waist bells, moving his feet left and right. It is said that the main feature of Xiuyan single drum is the large waist movement, which can be twisted forward, backward, left and right, and the waist bell tied to the body is clanging. When the dance reaches its climax, there are forward and backward rolling movements such as "Zhang Fei's horse", "Su Qin carrying a sword", and "Ten rolls on the spot". The sound of drums and bells interweaves into a wonderful impression, which greatly excites the audience. According to Mr. Yuan Degui, there is no music score for single drum, which is passed down by old artists in the previous generation. But many of them are no longer suitable for the needs of current performances. Xiuyan single drum not only has singing and dancing, but sometimes also has folk art elements such as martial arts and acrobatics. When performing martial arts, it also needs three-section staff and other household items. Although Mr. Yuan Degui has never been to school, he is very good at composing lyrics. He can compose a large set of lyrics in one or two days. The planned training performance team Xiuyan single drum has also won many honors in history. In 1992, it represented Liaoning Province to participate in the 3rd China Art Festival held in Kunming. In June 2004, it won the gold medal in the Liaoning Province "Old Base New Style" music and dance competition. In August 2004, it participated in the 6th Liaoning Province Art Festival again, and the Taiping drum dance "God Drum Urging Spring" won the gold medal again. But even such an art is in a very difficult situation. In the middle of the last century, there were more than a dozen single drum classes in Xiuyan that performed activities, but now only a few single drum classes are still engaged in this art activity. Yuan Degui has also accepted several apprentices, the oldest of whom is already 52 years old. "No one wants to learn now. If things continue like this, the art will slowly be lost." At present, the relevant departments in Xiuyan have made specific arrangements and deployments for the excavation, rescue and protection of the Xiuyan single drum. At the same time, they also plan to train a single drum performance team of more than 100 people in the county to participate in various major festivals and foreign exchange performances to inherit and develop the single drum art. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)