Kiss of modernity for traditional dance form

"A gong in the left hand, a drum in the right, come and sing songs, with the gong and drum in both hands."

People across China, especially the elderly, must have come across these words at some point in their lives, but they might know no more than that about this traditional folk art－called the Fengyang flower-drum dance－that originated in Fengyang county of Anhui province.

Zhang Cong of Shandong province, who teaches a music appreciation course at the Anhui Science and Technology University in Fengyang, knew nothing more than these words about the dance form until 2008, the year she graduated and arrived there to teach at the university. "I thought it is a song that is sung while beating gongs and drums," said Zhang, who later found out that there's more to it.