Quick Answer
Tujia (土家族, Tǔjiāzú) Sa’erhe (撒叶儿嗬, sāyè’érhē) is a sung and drummed dance tradition associated with funeral vigils in the Qingjiang River area of western Hubei. Records for Changyang, Wufeng and Badong describe local practice. A singer can strike the drum and call the song while the dancers move to the rhythm.[1][2][3]
- Setting: Relatives and neighbours gather with a household in mourning.[1][3]
- Performance: The Wufeng inventory documents a drum-led core passage with a syncopated 6/8 rhythm.[2]
- Presentation: Some Changyang troupes present the form on stage as well as at funerary events.[4]
The occasion helps explain why one account describes an overnight vigil while another shows a short performance.[1][4]
The sound of the drum carries through the room while a singer calls out and dancers respond with movement. In the accounts from the Qingjiang area, the room is part of the story. It is where neighbours gather with a family after a death, and the performance helps them mark the occasion together.[1][2][3]
Where Sa’erhe Is Documented
The national inventory includes local entries from Changyang and Wufeng, and the Hubei provincial record also names Badong. These places lie in western Hubei. The records situate the dance in villages around the middle Qingjiang River and describe how the people around a household participate.[1][2][3]
Sa’erhe can be translated through descriptions such as funeral dance or funeral drumming. These English labels indicate the ceremonial setting, while the local name is a better guide to the particular tradition. Other Tujia dance forms, including the Tujia Hand-Waving Dance, have their own settings and repertoires.[1][3][5]
How the Drum, Voice and Movement Work Together
The Wufeng entry describes a singer striking the drum and calling the song. It records a syncopated 6/8 rhythm in a core passage and changes involving other metres. A viewer may see bent knees and coordinated movements that follow the drum. The music gives the dancers a cue for when to move together.[2]
The provincial account names movement patterns such as “Phoenix Spreads Its Wings” and “Swallow Carries Mud.” The names point to recognizable images in the movement. A recording of one pattern can show a particular part of the repertoire without showing how singers and dancers would move through a longer sequence.[2][3]
What the Vigil Means to Participants
The Changyang and provincial accounts describe people gathering around the coffin in the main room. Neighbours can spend the night with the bereaved household while singing and dancing take place. The accounts describe the gathering as a way to honour the person’s life and accompany the family.[1][3]
The Wufeng entry discusses the death of a person who has reached old age in its explanation of the songs and movements. That framing belongs to a specific community account. It helps explain why a vigorous rhythm can be present at a vigil, where the meaning of the activity comes from its relationship to the household and the person being remembered.[2]
How a Stage Version Changes the Setting
Research published through the Chinese Social Sciences Network describes Changyang community arts troupes that present Sa’erhe on stage and continue performing it in funerary settings. A stage segment can give an audience a view of the relationship between drum and dancers. A vigil takes place with the household and neighbours at the centre of the event.[4]
A troupe name and venue can identify a staged performance. A local account can also explain how an overnight gathering relates to the family’s vigil.[1][4]
FAQs About Tujia Sa’erhe Dance
Is Sa’erhe the Same as Tujia Baishou?
Sa’erhe is documented in funeral vigils in the Qingjiang area. Baishou, or the Hand-Waving Dance, has records of ancestral rites and other community settings in the Laifeng record.[1][3][5]
Does a Stage Clip Show the Whole Vigil?
A clip can preserve a particular dance or sung passage. A vigil can also involve relatives, neighbours and hours of shared presence that a performance excerpt leaves outside the frame.[1][4]
資料來源
[1] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Changyang Tujia Sa’erhe
[2] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Wufeng Tujia Sa’erhe
[3] Hubei Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Tujia Sa’erhe in the Qingjiang area
[4] Chinese Social Sciences Network. Community arts troupes and intangible heritage in Changyang
[5] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Tujia Baishou in Laifeng