Music on the Silk Road | Music bridges Yunnan and the world

Generation after generation, Yunnan musicians have taken provincial folk music to the world, allowing global audience to hear the enchanting melodies. Here are some famous Yunnan artists.

Huang Hong

Huang Hong is the first singer taking Yunnan folk songs abroad. In 1953, renowned singer Huang Hong performed A Running Brook in Beijing and captivated the audience with her beautiful voice.

Then, she was invited to sing and perform around China. She also visited more than ten countries as member of the Yunnan artistic delegation, including Poland, Romania, North Korea, Japan, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

Li Huaixiu and Li Huaifu

Li Huaixiu and Li Huaifu have allowed people in over 50 countries to hear Yunnan Haicaiqiang. Native to Yunnan's Shiping county, they have taken the unique musical form of Haicaiqiang abroad.

"We have performed Haicaiqiang at famed musical sites in more than forty countries and regions, including the Golden Hall in Vienna, the Sydney Opera House, and the Kennedy Center," says Li Huaixiu proudly. Their performances highlight how the beauty of music transcends borders.

Rong Baxinna​​​​

​​​​​​​Rong Baxinna is Pumi girl from northwest Yunnan’s Nujiang. In 2007, she sang the Pumi folk song Lie Lie at the Kennedy Center's Melanie stage in the United States. This wasn't the first time she sang Yunnan folk songs abroad.

During the 2013 Beautiful China performance at the Kremlin in Russia, Rong Baxinna sang the music of her hometown Nujiang as the sole female soloist to over 5,000 Chinese and Russian participants.

"Over these years, I've been to more than 20 countries and regions,” said Rong happily, “and every time I sing, I feel proud and touched."

Source: Yunnan Net; trans-editing by Wang Yunya