Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At the 2024 Chinese New Year Gala organized by China Central Radio and Television, the Xinjiang Dance Music program at the Kashgar branch fully demonstrated to the world the beauty of Xinjiang’s singing and dancing. 

Some social media users commented, "Singing and dancing became another reason to travel to Xinjiang after the beautiful scenery and delicious food." The reporter noted that in recent years, Xinjiang’s literary and artistic activities have been actively developing, and the reputation of the "land of singing and dancing" has become increasingly brilliant.

Artistic creativity flourishes

The dance director and choreographer of this year’s Spring Festival Gala in Kashgar, Xinjiang is 90s couple Zhang Peng and Li Mengyu. Since 2021, they have created dance works “Merket under the Sun” and “Grandfather’s Samovar”, which were awarded the national “Lotus” award in the folk dance category. And their classic dance “Beauty in Portrait” was nominated for the Lotus Award.

According to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, more than 30 works of art were produced in 2023 alone, including music and dance performances, operettas and others. Among them, the musical "Lucky Golden Train", based on the story of the charity slow train, shows a picturesque depiction of the lives of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, which are closely united together like pomegranate seeds. The musical production "Border Defenders" tells the story of a couple, Wei Deyu and Lu Jinghao, who have served on the border of their homeland for more than 50 years, a story that touches the heart...

It should be noted that the major music and dance performance "Raise Your Veils - Xinjiang is a Wonderful Place" was created jointly by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It successfully toured in 5 provinces and municipalities in China, as well as 6 countries and regions abroad, receiving a warm reception. Xinjiang’s reputation as the "land of song and dance" continues to spread far beyond its borders.

Artistic performances soothe the soul

During the spring holidays, life reigned everywhere - from the southern to the northern slopes of the Tien Shan. During the holidays, including the Chinese New Year and the Lantern Festival, more than 700 popular cultural events were organized in various cities and regions of Xinjiang, showcasing local flavor, folk customs and cultural heritage, and more than 3,000 village evenings were held.

According to data provided by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in 2023, more than 93,000 mass cultural events were held in Xinjiang, including such as "Stars over Tianshan", square dances and village evenings, with the participation of more than than 62 million people. This shows that high-quality provision of cultural services continues to support the lives of people in Xinjiang.

The integration of culture and tourism is becoming a highlight

Outstanding artistic works enrich the cultural context of Xinjiang’s tourism industry. For example, the major musical performance "Kunlun Testament", organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the city of Urumqi, was presented in 131 shows in 2023, attracting more than 65,000 tourists from different regions.

In recent years, the integration of culture and tourism in Xinjiang has received new impetus. Events such as the Strawberry, Mystic Pipes and others music festivals use culture and music as a connecting link. They are also introducing new life into the integration of culture and tourism through the innovative form of “music festival +”. In 2023, Xinjiang hosted more than 5,600 commercial performances, including more than 120 major music festivals and concerts.

According to the data, commercial performances brought in more than 500 million yuan last year.

Erken Seray, Chairman of the Xinjiang Writers’ and Artists’ Union, spoke in an interview and said that Xinjiang will continue to actively promote its brand of "land of song and dance" by organizing major cultural events such as the Second Xinjiang Culture and Arts Festival, the Fourth China International Art Biennale Xinjiang, Silk Road Song Festival and Silk Road Music Festival. He will also prepare for the premiere such musical and theatrical works as the musical “Nine Songs of Loulan”, the opera “The Thousand-Year Book of Mutkam” and others. This will promote the development of new forms and scenarios of art and the constant production of artistic works that are loved by the local people.