水峪中幡：百年古村中不落的旌旗Zhongfan Flag in Shuiyu Village -- Banners That Stand Tall through Time
北京城西80公里的深山腹地，藏着一个石头堆砌的百年古村--水峪村。这里曾是古时由山西通往京城的重要商道，如今繁华不再，却是古韵悠悠。远山犬吠，静谧人家，突然，一声声嘹亮的“号子”划破了初冬的宁静，在山谷中回荡--原是村子里的中幡队正在训练呢。 Tucked away in the mountains, 80 kilometers west of Beijing, is the quaint Shuiyu Village entirely built of stone centuries ago. The village is not as prosperous as it used to be in old times, but it still has a rich heritage. Shuiyu served as an important business route from Shanxi to the capital. Much of that glory is gone now. Deep in the mountains, dog barking far in mountains is the only sound to be heard in this tranquil village. Within a few moments, a loud bugle pierces through the quiet winter, echoing in the mountains. It's the sound of the village's Zhongfan flagpole acrobatics team training. 中幡，原本是皇室仪仗队的旗杆，在行军或是打猎休息期间，旗手们挥舞耍动大旗，给皇上解闷，博得帝王欢心，而后逐步演变成民间庙会中的表演节目，是中国的传统杂技项目。 Zhongfan, originally the flagpole of the royal honor guard, is a traditional acrobatic event in China. When the emperor would be on a hunting break, flagmen would show off their skills by waving the flag in different directions and postures to entertain the emperor. Gradually, it evolved into a performance in the temple fair and one of the traditional acrobatic shows in China. 历经数百年，中幡依然在空中飞舞。在水峪村这个古老村落里，始终留有中幡的一方天地，代代相传。如今，村中幡队的队员们多数由女性组成，这成为十里八乡的一大特色。每天，在完成繁重的家庭劳作之后，稍做休息，他们便要开始这一天的训练。十几米高、四十几斤重的中幡在他们手中、肩上、脑门、下巴等处上下飞舞，但始终“幡不离身，杆不落地”。舞中幡有几十个动作，件件有名堂，一只手举过头顶叫“霸王举鼎”, 一根大拇指举起中幡名为“金鸡独立”，把幡在自己身体周围转一圈叫“乌龙绞柱”，更惊险的是牙齿做架支撑起整个中幡……练就一身绝活，背后付出的辛苦难以想象，除了依靠力气与技巧，更要有坚定的信念、勤奋的训练，“刚开始练，两手都是血泡”，“胳膊都被砸青”。正因如此，耍幡者多为男性，但水峪村的女人们却靠着自己的力量舞出了一番新天地。从2008年北京奥运会到2019年新中国成立70周年大庆，女子队员们举着中幡走出深山，与国同庆，大放异彩。 It's been hundreds of years since then, but Zhongfan flag is still flying high. In Shuiyu Village, the skill is handed down from generation to generation. Interestingly, most of the team members today are women, setting Shuiyu apart from others. These "wonder women" juggle domestic chores and other duties with their intensive training. One can see 10-metre-high flags, each weighing more than 20 kilos, bob up and down, sway side to side, and catch glimpses of hands, shoulders, foreheads and chins in between the oscillating flags. The flags stay fastened on the upright poles in the air. The dances have different popular sequences. For example, a hand raising the flag above the head was called King Lifting Big Ding, a thumb lifting the flag was called 'Golden Rooster Stands on its Own' and spinning the flag around the body is called 'Dragon Strangled Pillar'. The most dangerous action is supporting the flagpole merely with teeth. It’s hard to imagine the diligence that goes behind this training. It's known that anyone who takes this training will have blisters on hands and bruises on arms in the beginning. This is why these acrobatics mostly are performed by men. But women in Shuiyu Village have broken the glass ceiling. Whether it is the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games or the 70th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China in 2019, the women of the hills proudly paraded with the flags. 如今，越来越多的年轻人离开山村，在外工作求学，留守的中幡队员越来越少。但是手艺的传承却没有就此中断，当地中小学开设了中幡课堂，年轻力量的加入，为这项传统的技艺注入了新的活力。每逢重大庆典，离开村子的队员们也会赶回来，重新扛起中幡，向世人展示它的风采。 Migration is depopulating villages one after the other today. Shuiyu has the same story to tell. The art of Zhongfan flag performance is also disappearing as more and more youngsters move out. But local people are determined to keep the acrobatic skills alive. The local primary and secondary schools have Zhongfan flagpole acrobatics class and participation of youths has injected new vitality into this traditional craftsmanship. At every major celebration, team members who leave the village come back, pick up the Zhongfan flags again and show the world how connected they are to their roots. “古老”，是水峪村的代名词，这里的一砖一石都有时光雕刻的印迹。而中幡始终像一面扬起的旗帜，村民们代代相传，让百年古村的精气神得以留存。 If Shuiyu Village had a synonym, it would be the word "ancient." Every brick and stone here carries some memory of the time past. But the resolve of the people and their strong connect to history has kept the Zhongfan flags flying and the spirit of this old village alive. 长按识别二维码可关注该微信公众平台