The Yonghong Peace Drum Troupe of Lanzhou (formerly the Peace Drum Troupe of Lanzhou) is affiliated with the Yonghong Peace Drum Cultural Industry Development Limited Company founded by Wei Yonghong, inheritor of National intangible cultural heritage. The troupe was founded in 1990 when it represented Lanzhou in an art performance at the 11th Asian Games. Consisting of over 100 people, all the troupe’s members come from Lanzhou’s Gaolan County of the Gansu Province. This the only professional drum team to be granted a ‘Commercial Performance License’ by the Gansu Department of Culture. It is also a member of the China National Cultural Promotion Society (focusing on international cultural exchange events) of the Ministry of Culture of China, and a member of the China Nationalities Percussion Society.
The Yonghong Peace Drum Troupe of Lanzhou currently boasts 355 members, 80 of whom are permanent, and its members have an average age of 26. Over the decade, the troupe has joined and earned awards at dozens of national competitions, including winning Best Formation, Best Performance, and Best Representative at the Chengdu Autumn Chinese Dance Invitational Competition hosted by the Ministry of Culture of China in 1989; in 1991 the troupe was awarded gold at the Shanxi China International Gong and Drum Festival; in 1992, it received first place and the organisational award at the Longtan Cup in Beijing, and in the same year earned first place at the International Yangge Festival held in Shenyang; in 1994, the troupe received first place at the Fourth China Art Festival; in 1996, the troupe won gold at the Sixth Pop Culture Star held by the Ministry of Culture of China; in 2000, the troupe was named ‘King of Chinese Drums’; in October 2007, the troupe performed at the inaugural International Intangible Cultural Heritage Festival in Chengdu and was awarded the ‘Sun Bird Gold Award’.
The troupe has also given performances in locations across China, to the delight of audiences everywhere. In 1990, over 100 troupe members represented Lanzhou in a performance at the 11th Asian Games held in Beijing. The performance stunned audiences, who heralded the troupe as “the greatest drum group”, opening a new chapter in the history of traditional musical acts like the Peace Drum Troupe of Lanzhou. From 1993, the troupe began performing at various tourism festivals. In 1999, the troupe performed at the Capital 50th National Founding Anniversary Gala held at Tiananmen Square. In 2002, the troupe performed at the inaugural Drum Feast In China held in Shanghai. In 2003, the troupe visited Hong Kong for the first time to perform at the ‘Hong Kong Drum Festival – Majestic Drums III’ concert. In January 2008, the troupe performed at the ‘Hundred Spring Flowers – China Federation of Literary and Art Circles Spring Festival Gala’ held at the Great Hall of the People. On 8th August, 2008, the troupe performed at the pre-opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, held in the Bird’s Nest stadium. The troupe has performed at four Chengdu Intangible Cultural Heritage Festivals, held in 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2019. In February 2016, the Ministry of Culture sent thirty troupe members to Cairo, Egypt to perform at the Seventh Joyful Spring Festival Fair.
