Jinyang Fenghuo Liuxing, commonly known as Fire Meteor, is a folk performance art that integrates acrobatics and martial arts. "Fenghuo Liuxing" is a traditional folk performance art in which burning charcoal is installed at both ends of a rope and danced in the hands. The performer holds the fire meteor and dances the rope quickly while walking or on the field, making the iron cage fly in the air, sparks fly, the fire is powered by the wind, and people are in the fire. The evening performance can better reflect a unique atmosphere of a group of dragons dancing. In June 2008, it was selected into the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Origin and Evolution Han Ronghua, the founder of Jinyang Fenghuo Liuxing, practiced martial arts since childhood and is a representative inheritor of Xingyiquan. While he was doing business with his father in Qi County, he was instructed by Master He Daguang of Qi County Dai's Xingyiquan. In 1928, Han Ronghua returned to Taiyuan from Qi County. Inspired by folk acrobatics, he combined some training techniques and skills in traditional martial arts with folk acrobatics to create "Fenghuo Liuxing". The "shooting star" became a unique performance item in the folk community activities at that time. The fire meteor is made of iron wire and is shaped like an iron cage. There are large and small sizes. The size depends mainly on the physical strength of the performer. Two iron cages of equal size are tied to the two ends of the rope. Because the wind and fire meteor is simple to make and easy to carry, this unique and thrilling folk skill has become a reserved item in the annual community activities in Jinyuan. As time passed, the sacrificial function of community activities gradually weakened and evolved into a folk entertainment activity. History and inheritance Around the 1970s, the wind and fire meteor made its last appearance on the Lantern Festival in the area of Jinyuan Guojiaduo Chenghuang Temple. In the following 30 years, the wind and fire meteor has never shown its face again. Because no one has been interested in it, this skill has almost reached the point of extinction. Too Han Jinniu, a native of Jinyuan East Street, Jinyuan District, was influenced by his grandfather Han Ronghua. At the age of 14, he became a disciple of his grandfather's eldest disciple Zhang Yuehua and learned Xingyiquan. Later, he followed the old artist Nie Lianfu to learn Fire Meteor. In the late 1990s, Han Ronghua's grandson Han Jinniu began to restore the Fire Meteor skills that were about to be lost. As an artist with comprehensive skills, he not only has good physical fitness, martial arts skills and acrobatics foundation, but also has a sensitive auditory receptive ability for drum music, and can use it freely in the ups and downs of drum music. The Wind and Fire Meteor he performed combines martial arts, acrobatics, gongs and drums, producing a good audio-visual effect. Types and characteristics Wind and Fire Meteor is a kind of martial arts performance, and martial arts is a traditional activity in folk fire. Performers hold knives, sticks, meteor hammers and other weapons, and perform them while marching or on the field. The meteor hammer strikes and kills the enemy by pulling the metal sphere through ropes and chains. It is concealed, fast and unpredictable. The performance time is usually at night. Before the performance begins, fill the iron cage with charcoal, ignite it with fire, and quickly pull the rope with your hands to make the iron cage fly in the air. At this time, sparks fly, the fire is helped by the wind, and the wind helps the fire, accompanied by the "crackling" sound of burning charcoal, which is a spectacular scene. "Wind and Fire Meteor" can be performed by one or more people. It mainly uses the back flower and steamed bun flower movements with both hands to make the iron cages at both ends of the rope rotate from slow to fast through inertia, forming various patterns with good visual effects. The performance is accompanied by small gongs and drums, changing movements in different drum sounds, sometimes compact, sometimes soothing, sometimes high, sometimes low, and exciting. Group performances can show the momentum of flying dragons. People walk, stand, sit, lie down, and roll in the performance. People are in the fire, and the fire revolves around them. The routines of the performance are roughly similar to those of martial arts, including double dragons opening the way, fire dragons entangled, Wukong dancing with sticks, and fire dragons rolling eighteen times. Outlook and the future "To practice this skill, you need a certain martial arts foundation, and it is also dangerous. It is not easy to find a successor." Han Jinniu said. In recent years, the old artist Nie Lianfu has recruited some primary school students for free and guided them to learn to perform wind, fire and meteors. In 2008, Jinyang Wind, Fire and Meteor was rated as a national intangible cultural heritage project and attracted attention from all walks of life. Nowadays, the wind, fire and meteor performances in Jinyuan District, Taiyuan are active in various occasions. Among the performers, there are both elderly people in their 50s and children in their teens. They perform wind, fire and meteors with sparks flying and forming various patterns, which are welcomed by the masses. With the good reputation created in various performance occasions, their performance opportunities have gradually increased, and the figure of wind, fire and meteors has also appeared in wedding ceremonies.