In the cold February air of Yan'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi province, spectators gathered around the barricades along the road to watch the city's most anticipated event, the yangko dance parade.
Being the start of the traditional Chinese calendar, it's the time to prepare for the new season. The traditional folk dance yangko began as a way to express the happiness of a good harvest, yet this intangible cultural heritage still gets people excited today.
Though the dance is not exclusive to northern Shaanxi province, the area is known for the size of its yangko performances – with the 2025 Yan'an Lantern Festival parade being no exception.
Floats carrying percussionists, horns and other instruments led the parade and the troupe following behind performed their take on the yangko dance. The groups in the parade represented a local area, and each one had its own unique version ranging from elegant to comical, or a bit of both.
Red waist drums were played while men pumped tasseled umbrellas and women fluttered bright fans. Ancient soldiers held banners as legendary heroine Hua Mulan led her army down the avenue. Women holding fake apple trees reflected their district's production of apples, and another group waved fans bearing a sheep for its famous mutton dishes.
Other groups accentuated the dance's fun spirit. Larger-than-life characters from ancient times brought smiles to onlookers with their silly gait, and dancers moving wildly on stilts had everyone on edge. Women in donkey-and-rider costumes run around in circles, while women in boat costumes swirled around a white-bearded man.
This year's yangko parade brought the best parts of the area's culture to life, so that even those unfamiliar with it, such as the members of the global Gen-Z visitors could quickly appreciate it. The fun dance reminded thousands that even though it is still chilly outside, things are looking up.
