The Yongchang Stilts Association was established during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. It was introduced from Chiyan Beach (now Dongli District) to the Fifth Street (Village) of Yixing Port. It was organized by respected people in the street (village), and villagers joined voluntarily. It was not a family organization. Because there were many folk flower fairs in Yixing Port at that time, and most of them were named with the word "Yong", it was called the Yongchang Stilts Association, which means forever. This association has been around for more than 270 years and has participated in various folk festivals in the late Qing Dynasty, the early Republic of China and after liberation. The Yongchang Stilts inherited and carried forward the performance style of the northern Wenqiao. When the Yongchang Stilts went out, dozens of knife flags surrounded two door flags, and the association flag (called "Hou Tu") was behind. Under the instructions of the door flag, the actors dressed in costumes and stepped on 1.2-meter wooden stilts to play "bangchui, fisherman, son, parrot, woodcutter, ugly woman, green pole, white pole". There were group dances and two or three people playing in pairs to the accompaniment of gongs and drums. There are 12 main actors, including gong and drum players, and more than 20 lanterns are used for evening performances. During the meeting, those with armbands will accompany the team to "beat the scene" to maintain order, and carry a number of high kicks for the actors to rest. The performance team is spectacular and magnificent. Folk dances in my country often use the four main occupations of "fisherman, woodcutter, farmer, and scholar" in the farming society as the theme. Yongchang stilts are no exception, and the performance repertoire is "fishing, woodcutter, farming, and reading". At the end of each performance, there is a camel-pulling modeling accompanied by singing. The singing segment is "entering the deep mountains", which pushes the performance to a climax. The scene is thrilling and exciting. The main performance props of Yongchang Stilts Club include a pair of mallets, a woodcutter's burden, a pair of rattan poles (black and white), two large waist drums, two small gongs, 12 sets of performance costumes (including headdresses), 12 pairs of wooden stilts, two gate flags, one club flag, and several high kicks. The wooden stilts are 1.3 meters high, and the footrest is 1 meter from the ground. The costumes and props are well preserved. The inheritance genealogy of Yongchang stilts is very complex. The inheritance is non-family-based. The inheritance process is characterized by the voluntary participation of villagers. It is mostly a loose social type, and most people participate in the activities as a hobby. The performance activities of this association are very seasonal, mainly in winter and spring, and are for self-entertainment. Establishing an association to pass on skills is the main way of inheritance. Generally, the elderly or those with high skills are the masters. The master-disciple relationship is not "inherited from the same lineage" but an interwoven network. The first generation inheritor is Jia Changsheng (1809-1882); the second generation inheritor is Wen Jun (1829-1901); the third generation inheritor is Liu Ming (Liu Heita 1859-1935); the fourth generation inheritor is He Zhiquan (1886-1966); the fifth generation inheritor is Bai Changfu (1927 to present); the sixth generation inheritor is Chen Shiqiang (1946 to present); the seventh generation inheritor is Zhao Hui (1967 to present) and Chen Zhonghai (1969 to present); the eighth generation inheritor is Gu Jinbiao (1983 to present); the ninth generation inheritor is Zhao Suoyu (1991 to present). Yongchang stilts have four characteristics: long, numerous, beautiful, and dangerous. Long means long legs and long time of circulation. Many means many people like to watch, and there is often a phenomenon of "chasing and blocking" when they go out. Beautiful means beautiful appearance, smooth performance movements, and beautiful shapes. Dangerous means that the action span is large, and the poses such as turning around and pulling a camel are dangerous. Yongchang stilts will show the four professions of fishermen, woodcutters, farmers and scholars in the farming society in the form of yangko, and the joyful scenes during festivals, temple fairs and harvest celebrations. Among them, the club and the little parrot, the woodcutter and the ugly woman, the white pole and the young man, the green pole and the fisherman play with each other, telling the joy after the harvest and the hope for the coming year, bringing joy to the New Year. Among them, the lyrics "Into the Deep Mountains" add atmosphere to the temple, and the thrilling actions and the pose of pulling a camel bring the performance to a climax. Yongchang stilts were included in the first batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage expansion projects in October 2009. Among them, in the lyrics of "Into the Deep Mountains", the woodcutter sings: The woodcutter goes into the deep mountains to collect firewood, and I see more trees and less people. When I am free, I also sharpen my axe in front of the mountain; when I am bored, I listen to the birds singing behind the mountain. Flowers and plants on the mountain are loved by everyone, and wild flowers at the foot of the mountain are more beautiful. I, a woodcutter, was walking forward with a load of dry firewood. I happened to meet a tiger patrolling the mountain and blocking my way. When I saw the tiger, I was frightened and trembled with fear. I shouted to the tiger, "Don't eat me. I will tell you the hardship of chopping firewood: I have to go deep into the mountains to chop dry firewood, sell it at the market, sell it for copper coins to make a living, carry grain to support my parents, and support my wife and children, and endure the wind and snow. It is unbearable. The tiger heard that I was a filial son, shook his head and wagged his tail, and jumped up the mountain. When the woodcutter saw the tiger going up the mountain, he picked up the firewood and ran down the mountain in big strides. The various performance props, instruments and related lyrics of "Into the Mountains" of the Yongchang Stilts Club are well preserved, and great efforts are made to recruit and train new people. Under the influence of the 12 young members of the ninth generation, 10 young members have joined the club and insist on training once a week. Information source: Tianjin Beichen Cultural Information Network Information source: Tianjin Beichen Cultural Information Network