The elephant-foot drum is a very special instrument for the Dai people. The drum-making skill was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.
The elephant-foot drum dance is very popular among the Dai people. It can be danced by one or two people or a group of people. It is often performed during festivals. This form of dance was at first used to scare off evil and welcome the new year. Now it is a way for the Dai people to show their joy as well as their village culture. It also shows that the Dai people are kind, friendly and inclusive (包容的).
Xie Wenping, who is 32 years old, learned how to make these drums from his grandfather. “I was determined (下定决心的) to make more and better drums when I grew up,” Xie said.
But making an elephant-foot drum is no easy task. “Making an elephant-foot drum takes about 30 steps and one month,” Xie explained. First, Xie needs to choose the right wood and shape it like an elephant’s leg. Then he needs to hollow out the inside and cover it with cowhide (牛皮). The cowhide needs to go through many steps before it can be used on the drum. After that, Xie paints the drum with special patterns and adds a protective layer (保护层) on top. The last steps are tuning (调音) the drum and making it look nice. “A good elephant-foot drum should sound loud and strong when you beat it,” Xie said.
Even though making these drums can be repetitive (重复), Xie always feels encouraged when he sees his grandfather’s smile while making them. “Over the years, the number of craftspeople (工匠) skilled in making elephant-foot drums has gone down,” Xie said. “I feel like it’s my job to keep this tradition alive.”
To make it easier for people to enjoy the elephant-foot drum outside of Yunnan, Xie came up with the idea of making a smaller version (版本) of the drum and designing key chains that look like the drum.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the elephant-foot drum dance now?| A．To compete with other villages. | B．To show their sadness and losses. |
| C．To show their friendliness and culture. | D．To scare off evil and welcome the new year. |
| A．easy | B．challenging | C．creative | D．the most exciting |
| A．The number of craftsmen is increasing. |
| B．The number of craftsmen is going down. |
| C．Its place has been taken by modem drums. |
| D．The tradition is no longer popular among the Dai people. |
| A．thought out | B．listened to | C．paid attention to | D．gave up |
| A．An Elephant-Foot Drum Maker | B．Making the Elephant-Foot Drum |
| C．Elephant-Foot Drum: A Cultural Treasure | D．The Art and Culture of Elephant-Foot Drum Dance |
