Shanghe drum yangko [Photo/WeChat account: gh_16f5c27b6488]

The drum yangko in Shanghe county is a local traditional folk dance that has a history of nearly 2,000 years.

The dance is performed to celebrate major festivals, such as the Chinese Lunar New Year. Martial arts moves are incorporated into the dance, with performers dancing to fierce drum music.

One of the characteristics of the yangko is that performers run in a certain dance formation instead of twist. A formation is made up of dozens of or hundreds of people.

The dance expresses the bold and unconstrained characteristics of Shandong people.

The Shanghe drum yangko was included in the first batch of the national intangible cultural heritage items list in 2006.