Yangge (Chinese: 秧歌; pinyin: Yānggē), or "Rice Sprout Song," is a form of Chinese folk dance originating from the Song Dynasty. It is very popular in northern China and one of the most representative form of folk arts. It is popular both in the countryside and cities in northern China. It is especially popular among older people. Crowds of people go on street in the evening and dance together in a line or in a circle head-to-tail.
Some dancers dress up in red or green, or whatever colorful costumes, and typically use a red silk ribbon around the waist and swing the body to music played by drum, trumpet and gong. More people will join as they see Yang Ge going on and dance along. Some dancers use props like waistdrum, dancing fan, fake donkey and litter. In different areas Yangge is performed done in different styles, but all express happiness.
In the 1940s, the Chinese Communist Party adopted the dance as a means of rallying village support, and is sometimes known as "reform yangge."
Another version of the yangge is a village play, an anthology of which was published by Sidney D. Gamble in 1970, based on transcriptions made by Li Jinghan as part of the Ting Hsien Experiment's surveys in the 1930s.