Entertainment in Xinjiang

It is a must for tourists to Xinjiang to enjoy the songs, dances and music performed by people of various ethnic groups. There are also rich and interesting entertainment programs. Theaters, karaoke halls, bars and gyms further enliven the city life. Tourists can relax at these venues after a day's busy travel schedule.

Twelve Mukkam

The gem of folk art of the Uygur ethnic group is used to eulogize the colorful life, aspirations, sentiments and ideals the Uygur people in the forms of music, literature. dance and drama. It contains all the elements of traditional music,literature, drama and dance and the characteristics of lyricism and story narration. This form of art is highly original in the world.

"Hua'er" Folk Song of the Hui people

It is the most popular form of folk song among the Hui people. Most of the songs are improvised. Many of them are love songs. The singers sing and dance at the same time. "Hua'er" folk song has a resounding, lucid and lively tune.There are over 100 variations of this folk song in Northwest China. A dozen are popular among the Uygurs.

Kuqa Song and Dance

People from Kuqa have been known as good singers and dancers since ancient times. The local music, known as "Qiuci Music", was a part of the performance repertoire at the imperial palace

during the period from the Southern-Northern Dynasties to the Sui and Tang dynasties. A chapter in the "Imitation Music and Dance of the Tang Dynasty, staged by an art troupe in Shaanxi Province, is entitled "Qiuci Dance". Folk songs from Kuqa feature distinct tunes and rhythms suitable to accompany dancing. Traces of the ancient "Qiuci Music" are obvious in them.The most outstanding piece of the Kuqa music and dance is called "Kuqa Saynaim". 

Maixilaifu

"Maixilaifu" is a kind of traditional dance and song performance popular among the Uygurs. Dance is the main part, accompanied by singing in a lucid and lively tune. There are several forms of this performance known as "Secular Dance", "Dance with Props,' "Imitation Dance" and "Working Dance". The "Secular Dance" is the most popular. On the repertoire of the "Secular Dance" are the pieces entitled "Young Sprout Dance", "Milis" and Saynaim.

"Girls Chase"

It is a traditional sport for fun among Kazakhs. Men and women are pared off. Pairs of them ride horses side by side from the starting point to the finishing point. On the way unmarried men may express their love to young women. On the way back, if a girl takes the fancy of the young man who has been riding along with her, she raises her whip and makes fake lash over him. Married men and women in this game demonstrate their riding skills.

"Snatching the Lamb"

The traditional sport of Kazakhs is usually held on major holidays and occasions of celebration. The participants, all good horse riders, are divided into two teams. A killed lamb is placed on the ground. The horse riders charge over to snatch it up. The one who has got hold of the lamb and keeps it until the end of the game wins. The winner will throw the lamb at the door of a yurt (usually owned by an elder). The family of the elder will slaughter sheep to entertain guests.

"Dawazi" Rope Walking

This form of traditional acrobatics is performed in an open lot. Several poles are driven into the ground. The middle one is the highest, 25 meters high. One end of a thick rope is tied to the top of it and the other end is secured on the ground. A ring is tied to the pole's top. Pennants are fixed onto the rope and the pole. Accompanied by music, a man, bare-footed, climbs up the rope, balancing a wooden pole of five to eight meters long. As he climbs higher and higher, the rope becomes steeper and steeper and the walking becomes more and more dangerous. Of course there are safety measures. A skilled performer can walk on the rope backward, walk with his eyes covered and ride a monocycle on the rope.

Horse Race

Horse race is the oldest sport enjoyed by Kazakhs. It is held on holidays and occasions of celebration and divided into two forms: running race and walking race. Running race is a contest of speed. Walking race emphasizes on the rider's stance, steadiness and hurdling skill. The distance of a horse race is not fixed, usually about 10 kilometers. Most of the participants are young people and youngsters, divided into male and female groups. The winner gets honor not for himself but also for his family and the whole village. The rich award is composed of a camel, a horse, sheep, silk, sugar and tea leaves. Usually the winner gives part of the award to relatives and friends. The recipients regard the gifts as an auspicious token.

Wrestling

This sport is very popular among Kazakhs. A wrestling contest is a must on every occasion of celebration. Kazakh men are almost all good wrestlers.They start practicing wrestling at a very young age. They wrestle whenever they have time to spare. 

Minor Tune Opera in Xinjiang

The local form of opera has its own singing techniques.The tunes and lyrics show distinct features of the local life. Some tunes are high and broad and some tunes describe shy manners.There are pieces with grand scenes and pieces with short episodes. The lines are spoken in the form of old poetry or in the local dialect.The scenes are lively and unpredictable.