Singers and dancers from Shiping county in Honghe prefecture, Yunnan province, performed at the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP 15, in Kunming, on Monday. [Photo by Hu Yanhui/For chinadaily.com.cn]
A folk music and dance team from Shiping county of Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province, performed at the opening ceremony of the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, or COP 15, in Kunming, on Monday.
The seven-minute performance, which presented the history and current life of ethnic minorities in Honghe, drew loud applause. The 32 singers and dancers, led by Li Huaixiu and Li Huaifu, were from a local institute dedicated to passing on intangible cultural heritage.
Since its establishment in 2011, the institute has cultivated more than 1,100 performers for folk music and dance, including the intangible cultural heritage haicaiqiang, traditional music popular in Honghe.
"I'm very proud that so many intangible cultural heritages are kept alive in my hometown of Honghe prefecture. They are unique in China and even in the world," said Li Huaixiu.
"We hope they will be inherited and passed on so that people can enjoy the authentic haicaiqiang whenever they visit Honghe prefecture and Shiping county."
