DAILY | GLOBAL EDITION Wednesday, August 18, 2021 | 3 TOP NEWS

The songs are a collective effort, and the more people sing them, the better they sound. ... (We) feel a deep responsibility to pass it on to future generations.” Wu Chunyue, a Sanjiang resident and a Grand Song lead singer who conducts workshops to nurture young singers

To that effect, Sanjiang resident Wu Chun- yue, another Grand Song lead singer, regu- larly practices with at least six team members and runs workshops to nurture College students and teachers from Minzu University play the Chinese lute, Members of the Dong ethnic group perform the Grand Song of Dong in Sanjiang young singers. or , while introducing the Grand Song of Dong to children at a primary school in Dong , Zhuang autonomous region, on April 13. “The songs are a collective effort, and the Guiyang, Guizhou province. QU HONGLUN / CHINA NEWS SERVICE GONG PUKANG / FOR CHINA DAILY more people sing them, the better they sound,” said Wu, 40. “We’ve known it all our lives and feel a deep responsibility to pass it on to future generations.” Long Xiaoqin, deputy head of Sanjiang’s publicity department, said: “Our govern- ment attaches great importance to the Together in chorus Dong Grand Song. We believe this is what makes our Dong people special.” She add- Grand Song tradition ed that the songs complement the rich cul- ture and pristine environment of the gains popularity county, which draw millions of tourists and continues to every year. “So far, we have more than 200 masters unite communities here. The government encourages them to pass on their skills to the young to keep the Editor’s note: From arts and crafts to tradition alive,” she said. knowledge and skills, China’s intangible Pan Ming, general manager of the Guang- cultural heritage is invaluably embedded xi Tourism Development Group, which runs in its ethnic communities. This series the major Sanjiang scenic area where the looks at the latest efforts to preserve and ethnic group’s Grand Songs are performed promote the country’s inherited tradi- and promoted, said nearly 1 billion yuan tions and living expressions. ($150 million) has been invested in the county in recent years to help preserve and By Alexis Hooi pass on the Dong intangible cultural heri- and Zhang Li in Sanjiang, Guangxi tage. “Local ethnic aspects such as the Grand hen Wu Jinyan, a singer of the Song of the Dong are integrated with the Dong ethnic group, stepped cultural and tourism industry to continu- off the stage from one of her ously improve the visitor experience, create first overseas concerts, she immersive song and dance programs, and foundW it hard to mingle at the post-perform- enhance the attractiveness of Dong culture,” ance party. Pan said. “We couldn’t speak the language and US ethnomusicologist and Guangxi didn’t really know what was going on. But University for Nationalities music teacher people soon gathered around. They wanted Ben Linde said he first experienced the to know more about us and our singing. We Grand Song “through the studies, per- became closer through song.” formances and cultural heritage transmis- The experience two years ago in a multi- sion efforts” of Guangxi Arts University’s stop United States tour became a highlight department of ethnic arts in Nanning. for Wu and fellow practitioners of the Dong “They do a great job teaching this ethnic group’s traditional “Grand Song”, important genre of folk music to college marking its increasing popularity at home students from all corners of Guangxi. and abroad. Members of the Dong ethnic group participate in a Grand Song of Dong chorus performance in , Guizhou province, Obviously, a personal visit to Sanjiang to “The growing interest is very appropriate, on April 10. PAN HUANGQUAN / XINHUA listen to this music in its most natural set- because our songs have always been about ting is a priority for my future field the community; the more the merrier,” she research,” he said. said. taking on the role of emcee to introduce the old lover,” according to Mu, an editor at experiences for me, helping to increase The Grand Song is “unlike any other Wu, 37, is a lead singer in Yandong, Liping cultural backgrounds and meaning of the the nonprofit organization Repertoire understanding of treasured aspects of our folk songs I’ve heard anywhere in the county, in southwestern China’s Guizhou songs of the Dong people, also known as International de Litterature Musicale in traditions”. world. Its charming main melody floats province. Kam, combining ethnomusicological theory New York. over the harmony part, creating a delight- Her ethnic group is famous for its Grand with his experience. During their stop at the University of Nurturing tradition ful and gentle ‘rocking’ experience for the Song, the folk music — described as poly- “The sounds of nature have a special Michigan, “the group performed a full con- In the Sanjiang Dong autonomous coun- ear. Combined with the group nature of phonic and a capella — of its members, with meaning to the Kam people and are reflect- cert, but we also held workshops. We did ty of Liuzhou in the neighboring Guangxi performance, often strikingly polished, UNESCO recognizing the practice as an ed in many Kam songs,” Mu wrote in Folk- this wherever conditions allowed, as work- Zhuang autonomous region, more efforts this folk music genre must be shared, pro- intangible cultural heritage. The millennia- life, the online magazine of the shops seemed the best way to introduce the are also being made to preserve and pro- tected and passed to future generations”, old tradition is said to derive from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultur- natural and human environment of the mote the ethnic group’s song heritage. Linde said. sounds of nature and singers’ lives in their al Heritage. Kam region and to teach the audience to In late April, President Xi Jinping visited “As long as people from Sanjiang are sup- natural surroundings, such as the rush of “For example, the chirping of cicadas is sing,” he said. the Anthropology Museum of Guangxi in portive, fusions and new presentations” of rivers and the call of birds, with each group a constant backdrop in the Kam area, and “By working close up, we could give peo- the regional capital, Nanning. Guangxi is a its Grand Song “are a great way to increase having as many as 1,000 singers. the imitation of cicadas can be found in ple a deeper understanding of this musical national demonstration area for ethnic uni- the spread and enjoyment of this great art Ethnomusicologist and music curator Mu many songs. In During Daytime, I Go up culture so different from their own.” ty, and the region should continue to give form”, he added. Qian has studied the Dong songs closely and the Mountain, a young woman hears the Wu Jinyan said “the face-to-face interac- play to its exemplary and leading role, said helped promote them worldwide. Mu trav- sound of cicadas; to her ears, it sounds like tion and cultural exchange proved to be Xi, who is also general secretary of the Com- Contact the writers at eled to the US with Wu’s six-member team, weeping. She sighs at the memory of an very important. These are all very valuable munist Party of China Central Committee. [email protected]

made Tibet a core protection area for Chi- Tibet nese traditional culture, with various Response : Cultural rules and documents issued to that end. : Collaborative inquiry needed For more than seven decades, at least preservation 70 national-level and more than 600 From page 1 It is indeed in the interest Politicizing the process also undermines regional-level cultural sites have been the ability of the WHO to provide leader- nominated for recognition, with the Pota- problematic variants of the virus. of all countries to get a ship on finding the source of the global highlighted la Palace, Jokhang Temple and Norbu- WHO Director-General Tedros Adhan- proper understanding of health crisis and possible solutions to this lingka Palace each listed as a UNESCO om Ghebreyesus has rightly warned that and future pandemics. World Heritage and the Lum medicinal the next course of the pandemic will the pandemic genesis, Instead of a sustained smear campaign From page 1 bathing, Sowa Rigpa, a therapy in Tibet- depend on global leadership. However, it but such an endeavor against some countries, Washington an medicine, recognized as an intangible appears that precious time is being con- should be doing more on progressive ideas repeat my religious routines at home by cultural heritage by UNESCO in Novem- sumed by other, extraneous actions that should proceed within the such as the recent move to donate vacci- lighting butter lamps every day,” she said. ber 2018. will only delay the supply of vaccines to purview of collaborative nes to poor countries, while supporting On special occasions, such as the Shoton Also, the Tibetan language has acquired communities most in need. efforts by the COVAX international initia- Yogurt Festival or during the New Year legal protections, becoming the country’s When United States President Joe Biden and inclusive scientific tive to deliver vaccines to developing Losar Festival, she visits different temples first ethnic language to have international made the bold decision to rejoin the WHO inquiry. countries. and monasteries. standards, Wu noted. in January, many people in the US and A look at history tells a different story Besides protecting religion, the govern- In July 1997, the Tibetan coded charac- beyond expressed optimism that the move about epidemics. Nearly every corner of ment has emphasized the preservation and ter set was officially adopted, and became would bolster the global capacity to defeat process that has led to establishment of the world has been in the eye of the storm inheritance of Tibetan traditional culture, an important part of the Information the virus. However, the new administra- the International Scientific Advisory from time to time. Wu said. Technology — Universal Multiple-Octet tion is forging ahead with divisionary tac- Group for Origins of Novel Pathogens. The It is indeed in the interest of all coun- “Enriched with regionalism, unique Coded Character Set. The Tibetan lan- tics only emblematic of the disastrous move by the WHO to abandon the out- tries to get a proper understanding of the Tibetan traditions have become a bright guage thus became the first ethnic-minor- administration of former president comes of a joint study by its own experts pandemic genesis, but such an endeavor pearl in the treasure house of Chinese cul- ity language in China with an Donald Trump. has alarmed the international community. should proceed within the purview of ture,” he said, adding that Tibetan culture international standard and a pass to the A key concern regards the US approach So far, more than 60 countries have writ- collaborative and inclusive scientific was formed in a process of exchanges and global information superhighway, accord- to COVID-19 source tracing. The WHO ten to Tedros, opposing politicization of inquiry. The blame game is only a show- .communication with Han ethnic culture ing to a white paper on the peaceful liber- had sent its own experts to Wuhan. Work- the COVID-19 response and source trac- stopper and others. ation of Tibet and its development over ing alongside their Chinese counterparts, ing. The WHO offers the most appropriate To preserve Tibetan culture, the region- the past seven decades, issued by the State the WHO team made conclusions and rec- In an effort to circumvent mounting platform for coordinating global efforts on al government has been investing heavily Council Information Office in May. ommendations in which a laboratory leak international pressure, the White House COVID-19 source tracing and other to collect and publish valuable Tibetan “Customs also receive respect and sup- as a source of the pandemic was largely has ordered US intelligence agencies to aspects of the pandemic response. To suc- classics since the region’s peaceful libera- port. Festivals include Tibetan New Year, discounted. One of the recommendations firm up the “lab leak” theory by the end of ceed, however, the agency needs to be tion in 1951. Key projects include the com- Shoton and the Nagchu Horse Race. of the team was that the search for the this month. The use of intelligence agen- cushioned from external interference. piling of the Tibetan manuscripts in the These are celebrated almost every year,” virus source should also extend to other cies is against the scientific model, which Tripitaka Sinica, known as the Chinese he said. countries besides China. is verifiable, reproducible and universal. It The writer is a scholar of international Buddhist canon, and the preservation of The US expressed dissatisfaction with will be hard for the global community to relations with a focus on China-Africa ties. the Epic of King Gesar. Contact the writers at the findings, and it proceeded to engineer buy into any results of such an investiga- The views do not necessarily reflect those of Since 1951, the central government has [email protected] new plans within the WHO to start the tion. China Daily.