Northern Shaanxi

Shaanbei () or Northern Shaanxi is the portion of China's Shaanxi province north of the Huanglong Mountain and the Meridian Ridge (the so-called "Guanzhong north mountains"), and is both a geographic as well as a cultural area. It makes up the southeastern portion of the Ordos Basin and forms the northern part of the Loess Plateau. The region includes two prefectural cities of Yulin, which is known for the Ming Great Wall traversing through its northern part; and Yan'an, which is known as the birthplace of the Chinese Communist Revolution. Shaanbei is located in the northern edge of the Loess Plateau with a general elevation range of , occupying approximately 45% of the total area of Shaanxi. Elevation tends to increase from northwest to southeast. The northern portions degrade into the Ordos Desert, while the southern portions slope up into hills. Shaanbei is generally perceived to include all of Yulin and the northern half of Yan'an prefectures, while the mountainous southern Yan'an is based around the Luo River valley and regarded as part of the Guanzhong Basin. Shaanbei culture includes a number of distinct art forms, such as its distinctive forms of folk singing, waist-drums, paper-cutting, and a distinct form of painting known as "farmer painting". The predominant language of Shaanbei is Jin Chinese, with the southern areas being a transition zone into Guanzhong dialect. Shaanbei's style of folk-singing is distinct from other types of folk singing throughout China, and has gained fame via a number of media depictions, such as in the 1984 film Yellow Earth. The songs are typically about the struggles of rural life, such as poverty and arranged marriages. Many of these folks songs are hundreds of years old, and passed down from generation to generation. Certain celebrations in Shaanbei are accompanied by dancers hoisting Ansai waist-drums called yaogu (腰鼓), small drums strapped to the front of the dancers' waist. This tradition gained national notoriety through the film Yellow Earth, which included a scene featuring over 150 real drummers from the region.