Going with the flow

Yang Liu presents bamboo drifting through short videos to promote the traditional art that originated in the Chishui River area of northern Guizhou.[Photo provided to China Daily]

When she turned 10, Yang repeatedly lost her balance on the bamboo rafts and fell in the river. As a good swimmer, she was not scared but found it entertaining.

"I can still remember the moment when I successfully drifted on the river for the first time. I was so excited that I didn't want to stop," says Yang.

It was also her grandmother who encouraged Yang to incorporate elements of dance when drifting. Yang started with simple movements, such as raising one leg and turning around her body, which was difficult then.

"It was very hard to keep balance. I fell in the water, climbed up the bamboo, and fell into the water again," says Yang, who also got injured several times while practicing. However, her hard work and devotion eventually paid off.

Yang's grandmother, now 83, has watched her short videos.

"Compared to the days when my grandmother practiced 'bamboo-drifting', it is not just a sport now but also a beautiful art form to showcase traditional culture," says Yang.

In 2021, it was listed among the national intangible cultural heritage items and Yang became an official inheritor.

To better balance herself on bamboo, Yang keeps herself very slim. She is about 150 centimeters tall and weighs only 30 kilograms.

Now, she has a hectic schedule, revolving around drifting on bamboo. She films short videos, performs around the country and tries to come up with ways to make the activity more appealing to the younger generations, such as learning traditional Chinese opera skills, especially shuixiu, "water sleeves".This is one of the most skillful of traditional operas involving performers showcasing their movements in clothes with long, silky sleeves.