Tian Longxin's Musical Journey

正Tian Longxin is known today as the "living soul of Tujia music" and "leader of aboriginal Tujia folk music in China."Born in Hunan Province,Tian is fluent in the Tujia language and an expert in Tujia folk music.Having devoted himself to preserving traditional Chinese culture,     

A Tour of the Mountain and Folk Music

Every spring and summer, farmers and herders, the old and young in Gansu, Qinghai, and other provinces in northwest China look forward to their grand folk music fair. In those areas, taking a tour of the mountain is called langshan and singing traditional folk songs is called man huar. Touring the mountain to the music fair is ＂a must see＂ for all the local people!     

THE ELE GANCE OF QUYI——The Fourth Quyi Showcase of Chinese Ethnic Minority Groups

The history and tradition of Quyi （storytelling with music and periormance） are among the longest and most profound of China＇s folk art forms. Having evolved over centuries and centuries from folk oral literature and singing, Quyi is the catch-all name of various ＂art forms of talking and singing＂ in China. For millennia Quyi has been the vehicle by which Chinese people of whatever ethnic group have expressed their way of life and revealed their inner feelings.     

STEEPED IN CULTURE

Yan'an, located in the northem part of northwestern Shaanxi Province, is renowned as an iconic revolutionary base in the history of the Communist Party of China. It is also a city with a long history and a colorful culture.For example, there are exquisite paper-cutting techniques which require dedicated craftsmanship. There is also Xintianyou, literally meaning rambling in the sky, a folk music style characterized by a free, bold rhythm and sonorous vocals.     

十二木卡姆(英文)

正Muqam refers to an important category of traditional music among Muslim nationalities in China.There are several types of Muqam but,among them,the twelve compositions called The Twelve Muqam are special.In 2005,UNESCO designated The Uyghur Muqam of Xinjiang as part of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity.Involving folk ballads,dance,poetry,drama,and music on numerous instruments,the entire twelve can take more than 20 hours,although seldom performed in full.Muqam is an embodiment of the     

金竹乐队:藏在深山里的音符（英文）

正Jinzhu band is the first Miao music band and one of the China’s strongest and most valuable minority bands.Miao musician Yang Shengwen,a composer and Lusheng player,is proficient in Miao languagewhich helps to make his music creations and performances renowned at home and abroad.He has performed on various stages,given lectures on the University platform,collects folk songs in     

PROTECTING THE PAST

Promoting folk culture has become an important mission for some local governments, especially in ethnic minority areas Folk culture is drawing increasing attention as people's awareness of protecting their heritage has grown. But it is also evident that such protection efforts can bring economic benefits. Hubei, in central China, is one of the beneficiaries of folk culture protection. Seventeen of the 501 candidates for the     

The Art of Chinese Food

There is an old Chinese saying, ＂people take food as heaven.＂ It is an expression of people＇s love of food. A well prepared dish should have pleasing colour, aroma and flavour. Cooking has occupied a lofty position in Chinese culture throughout history. The great Chinese philosopher Lao Zi once said, ＂Governing a great nation is much like cooking a small fish.＂     

Cultural Resurrection

"Who are we?Where are we from?"Humans have been pondering these questions since the day they first came into being.One of the ways we preserve memories of the past is through our cul- tural heritage that has been passed on from generation to genera- tion.Intangible cultural heritage,as well as tangible cultural her- itage,is essential to the continuity of human civilization. Since the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization(UNESCO)unveiled the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2001,China has had Kunqu opera,Guqin and its music,the art of Uygur Muqam of Xinjiang and the traditional Mongolian folk song Long Song added to UNESCO's protection list.It is now one of the coun-     

Changyang,Cradle of the Tujia People

Changyang Tujia Autonomous County in western Hubei Province is an area of mountains and waters, most notably the 400-km Qingjiang River that traverses it from east to west. According to historical documents, Wuluo Zhongli Mountain, 30 kilometers southwest of the county seat, is where the Ba people, ancestors of China s Tujia ethnic minority, originated. It is believed that Linjun, the Tujia primogenitor, was born in the mountain s Red Cave. Surrounded by water on three sides, the mountain has five steep peaks, the highest 384 meters above sea level, and is densely covered by verdant forest. A visit to the county is a must for anyone interested in the history of the Ba people.     

Sights in Kunming

Cuihu Park： This park is named after Cuihu Lake, which literally means ＂Green Lake.＂ The body of water is regarded as an emerald in the heart of Kunming. Since 1985 the lake has been home to hoards of black-headed gulls migrating from Siberia during the cooler months from October to February.     

Keeping Rural Traditions Alive

正Shandong Province in east China,renowned as the birthplace of Confucius,is steeped in culture.To showcase its diverse folk art forms,the National Museum of China opened an exhibition titled Nostalgia in Mind in mid-July.The over 1,500 exhibits bring a fusion of Yellow River and littoral cultures,which Shandong has inherited by virtue of being on the lower reaches of the Yellow River and surrounded bythesea.     

Wang Tian：The Colorful World of Autistic Children

WANG Tian＇s studio is tucked in a densely shaded section of Beijing＇s 798 Art District. Paintings featuring flamboyant colors and impressionist compositiou grab attention from passersby, but even more arresting is the sign bearing the facility name： ＂Autistic or Artistic？ Art.＂ This question is raised to the public by studio owner Wang Tian - can children with autism be cultivated into artists？ Her answer is a resounding ＂yes.＂     

Mysterious Characters

Louguantai Scenic Area, located at the foot of Zhongnan Mountain in Zhouzhi County, Sha＇anxi Province, is known as the ＂birthplace of Taoism＂ and the ＂most blessed land under heaven.＂ It has long been a magnet for visitors interested in Chinese culture,     

Origins of the Names of Chinese Ethnic Minorities （5）

Bouyei
The Bouyei people have a long history. In their own language, ＂Bou＂ means ＂ethnic group＂ or ＂people,＂ and ＂yei＇＂ and its variants refer to the name of an ethnic minority. Thus, in the old local chronicles, the Bouyei nationality is sometimes recorded as ＂Yei nationality＂,＂Yei family ＂ or ＂Yei people.＂ As well as their self-appellations, the Bouyei people in different areas referred to other groups of Bouyei as ＂Bulong Buna Butu Budou Buyang ＂ and ＂Bulongha＂ etc.     

China＇s Greatest Contribution to the World Lies in Safeguarding Democracy and Wellbeing for One-Fifth of Humanity

China has a population that is one-fifth of humanity. Most of its people live in rural areas. This country has been built and developed on the ruins of semi-colonialism and semi-feudalism and on a foundation of ＂poverty and blankness.＂ The founding of New China created the political condition for the advancement of people＇s democracy. Since the adoption of reform and open policies, or gaige kaifang, China has gradually found an effective way, suited for Chinese conditions,     

Commemorating sa ：Blessiugs from Grandma

The Dong are a polytheistic people; they might worship a tree, a huge rock, a water well, a bridge... Most important of all, however, they worship as the highest deity their ancestor, Sa, the name meaning ＂Grandma who first established a Dong village.＂ Every Dong village has an altar devoted to Sa and worshiping Sa is the most solemn religious activity in the life of Dong people. The Sa Festival is also called Grandma Festival. Legend has it that Grandma led fellow villagers in fighting against invaders and defending the village. After her death, the Dongs built an altar and ancestral temple to her memory in their village, and every year they hold sacrificial activities to celebrate the Sa Festival.     

The Ascent of a Magic Family Business

AChinese family long rooted in the magic business has devised an aerial ＂vanishing in the plate＂ stunt unlike anything seen before anywhere in the world. Despite the heat and humid- ity of Beijing＇s summer, Fu Yandong is immersed in daily rehearsals for the show＇s debut performance at the World Championship of Magic. Entitled Blueand-White Porcelain, FU elaborates, ＂it revolves around the dream of a chinaware artisan, In a fantasyland the man meets two elves, and makes a trip back into history with them. The story line is not complex, but much of the performance has to be done mid-air.＂     

Saving Energy in the MiyunEcological Industrial Park

IN the courtyard of Beijing Ren- chuang Technology Co., Ltd. the ground is covered with colorful water-permeable bricks -- the same bricks that have been used in Olympic venues such as the ＂Bird＇s Nest,＂ ＂the Water Cube＂ and Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park. Renchuang is loeated in an eco-industrial park in Miyun County on Beijing＇s outskirts. Office supervisor Yang Shihu explains, ＂Our company holds the patent on the ecological brick both in China and abroad. The permeated rainwater is used as a coolant on production lines, or for landscape irrigation.＂     

Peacock Dance

CHINESE folk dance is a microcosm of the country’s rich culture.The Peacock dance of the Dai ethnic group is one of the most traditional folk dances in China.The presence of the Dai was first recorded in Han books in the f irst century.This ethnic group is mainly found in Yunnan in southwest China,the province known as the "land of eternal spring." It has its own language,calendar and medical science.Though being in a border area,the Dai people have always maintained contact with the heartland economy and culture.