China Indigenous Folk Song Festival 2025 Opens in Hohhot

On July 3rd, the 2025 China Indigenous Folk Song Festival officially opened in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The event was attended by prominent figures, including Wang Lixia, the Chairwoman of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Rao Quan, the Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism and the Director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and Bao Gang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regional Party Committee and Secretary of the Hohhot Municipal Party Committee.

The festival commenced with the resonating sounds of pastoral songs. The opening performance showcased a meticulously arranged program featuring chapters such as 'Chiliechang Ge,' 'Tian Ye Huan Ge,' 'Shan He Fang Ge,' and 'Shi Dai Zan Ge.' The performers expressed their love for life, their homeland, and their country through song, allowing the audience to deeply appreciate the unique charm of indigenous folk songs from various regions.

This year's festival is themed 'Natural Celestial Sounds, Folk Songs of Chinese Feelings,' with 65 teams and nearly 400 participants from across the country. The event includes performances of 42 national intangible cultural heritage representative items and 23 provincial intangible cultural heritage representative items. The repertoire features both widely sung classic folk songs and innovative adaptations, vividly demonstrating the successful preservation and development of traditional music through innovation and heritage.

Throughout the festival, performance groups from different regions will collaborate with local Ulan Muqi teams to form small units. They will travel to various cities, including Hohhot, Ulanqab, and Ordos, bringing their performances to local squares, campuses, pastoral areas, tourist sites, and neighborhoods. The festival will feature six major performances and eight community outreach shows, providing citizens and visitors with an exciting auditory and visual feast. The closing performance is scheduled to take place in Hohhot on July 6th.