In ancient China, the Han people were also known for their singing and dancing. But why is it that in modern times, the 55 ethnic minorities are known for their singing and dancing, while the Han people only seem to be good at boasting? During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, many folk songs recorded in the "Book of Songs" were sung and danced to by common people during labor or festive occasions. For example, the love song "Guan Guan Ju Jiu, on the river island" likely had impromptu singing and dancing scenes behind it. By the Tang Dynasty, the court's "Feathered Dance" was dazzlingly beautiful, with dancers in light gauze swaying gracefully to the sounds of the huqin and pipa, while folk celebrations included lantern festivals, traditional performances, and dragon dances, all vibrant and lively. In the Song Dynasty, the tile and theater scenes, the Yuan and Ming opera troupes, and the Qing Dynasty's temple fairs, the Han people never lacked for song and dance. Shandong's Guzi Yangge and Jiangnan's lion dances were all celebrations filled with song and dance. But in modern times, why does it feel like Han people "can't dance" anymore? In the late Qing and early Republic, Confucianism placed great importance on "rituals," emphasizing "no action without propriety." For instance, women dancing and showing their faces could easily be labeled as "indecent." Take late Qing noblewomen wanting to learn the free-spirited dance style of the Tang Dynasty? No way! They had to keep their heads down and follow the "female virtues." This caused many folk songs and dances to gradually recede, becoming private or small-scale performances. In contrast, ethnic minorities, like the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, have men and women of all ages gathering around campfires to sing and dance freely at the Maixi Laif dance parties; the peacock dance of the Dai people in Yunnan, with its beautiful peacock-opening movements, disregards any constraints of propriety. They live in remote areas where Confucian norms don't reach, making song and dance a part of daily life. In the early years of the new China, especially from 1949 to the 1970s, the country promoted a simple style of "coarse cloth clothing." The gray, blue, and green "Mao suits" almost unified the fashion landscape, advocating for "hardship and simplicity," while colorful clothing was seen as "bourgeois luxury." The attire for Han folk dances was replaced by coarse blue shirts, and the festive spirit of dancing gradually diminished, losing its appeal. This made a significant contribution to the decline of Han song and dance culture. At that time, the government promoted "national unity," while the song and dance of ethnic minorities were exempt from such uniform dress constraints due to their "ethnic characteristics."