The Duan'gu song was a sacrifice ritual held by fishermen to banish plague, disaster and suffering and to pray for happiness and good forsong after the formation of Weishan Lake.
The Duan'gu song is part of the Nuo culture, and in ancient times was a ritual to drive away ghosts and epidemics.
In 2011, Duan'gu song was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage items.
A Duan'gu song performance [Photo/official WeChat account of Jining culture and tourism bureau]
Initially, only the fishermen of Weishan Lake would hold Duan'gu song events.
In March 2007, the cultural department of Weishan county set up the Aihu Yang and the Xinjian Jiaru Duan'gu song troupes in Zhaoyang sub-district. The troupes hold various performances in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Hubei, Shanghai, Anhui, Shandong provinces and other places throughout the year.
In April 2010, the CCTV program Win Together, Sing Together came to Weishan Lake to film a performance of the Duan'gu song, which was broadcast on CCTV1 on May 1, 2010.
In 2019, Duan'gu song performers participated in the Jining Excellent Music Program Performance.
Some domestic and foreign folklore experts and scholars have visited Weishan Lake to interview Duan'gu song inheritors, and have published several theoretical articles on the song, making it famous at home and abroad.
A Duan'gu song performance [Photo/official WeChat account of Jining Culture and Tourism Bureau]
In 2014, the publication of the book The Ancient Rhyme of Duangu Song, the picture book Idyllic Duangu Song and the CD called Millennial Duangu Song were milestones in the history of the development and transmission of Duan'gu song.
A Duan'gu song performer [Photo/official WeChat account of Jining culture and tourism bureau]