Colorful Folkfore of Guizhou

The Miao wine toasting song and dance.	Miao diva Ayodo.	Tujia communal dance Swing and Swing.

Wesern China’s Guizhou Province is home to 49 of the country’s ethnic groups, and 17 of those are indigenous to the area. All have preserved their distinctive architectures, costumes, languages, customs and arts. During a recent visit to the province, secretary general of the World Tourism Organization Francesca Frangialli marveled at its cultural and scenic splendor. Last May, people in Beijing caught a glimpse of this majestic land and its diverse and vivid cultures through the musical drama Colorful Folklore of Guizhou.

The musical tells the story of a Miao minority girl as she makes her way home on the Guizhou Plateau. The plot focuses on humankind’s rapprochement with nature while it explores some unique cultures and civilizations.

The musical presents some of the most fascinating ethnic cultures in Guizhou, including the Han, Miao, Bouyei, Dong, Yi, Sui and Gelao peoples. Their various folk songs and dances are seamlessly blended using modern choreographing, and the performances are set ablaze with the flamboyant ethnic costumes. Most are listed as intangible world cultural heritage, and several have won national awards. All epitomize the ethos and traditions that the indigenous ethnic groups of Guizhou have adhered to for millennia.

One of the musical’s highlights is the Dong minority song, The Cicada’s Song. The performers are a group of Dong farmers who cultivated their talents at an early age and have been praised as the “choir from heaven.”

Another highlight is the dance, The Mountain Is My Home, performed by a group of male Basha dancers. The Basha Miao Village is nestled in the wooded valley of the Congjiang River, and its inhabitants are dubbed the last of China’s Bushmen. Members of the ancient hunting tribe still wear their hair in the traditional fashion – the hair on the crown is made into a bun while the rest is shaved. Though the Basha no longer need to hunt for sustenance, they still carry a dagger at their waist and a gun over their shoulder to keep their traditions alive. The dance features a group of strapping Basha men that mesmerize the audience with their stunts and guns.

Miao singing star Ayodo plays the lead role of the girl on her journey back home. Known to her fans as the “Bulbul from the Miao Mountains,” the aspiring diva has seen her reputation soar since making her debut at China Central Television’s annual Spring Festival Gala in 2005. Ayodo in the musical takes her audience through the most intriguing aspects of life in Guizhou, conveying its resplendent culture through her dulcet voice.