BEIJING, April 30 (Xinhua) -- By staging competitions for grand choruses of Dong ethnic minority every Friday, Zhaoxing Village, an ethnic locality in southwest China's Guizhou Province, is rising to prominence with greatly enlivened rural cultural tourism.
Since mid February when competitions for such choruses, better known as "village choruses" kicked off, the remote village has attracted competition applications from scores of chorus teams from Guizhou and other regions in China.
Currently, nearly 100 chorus teams are participating in the "village chorus" competitions there and as the competition goes on, more chorus teams are expected to apply for participation, said Du Dong, executive planner of the "village chorus" competitions.
A "village chorus" competition is being held in Zhaoxing Village of Liping County in Qiandongnan autonomous prefecture of Miao and Dong ethnic minorities in Guizhou. (Xinhua/Wu Guanghui)
As a form of folk-style chorus with multiple voice parts and no conductor and accompaniment as well, such "village choruses" prevail mainly in areas where Dong ethnic minority clusters, such as the Liping County, Congjiang County, and Rongjiang County of Qiandongnan autonomous prefecture of Miao and Dong ethnic minorities.
With different types of choruses for different feelings expression and for people of different ages, grand choruses of Dong people have been passed down orally by local villagers from generation to generation.
Tang Dacai, head of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Radio, Television and Tourism of Liping County, said through organizing "village chorus" competitions with corporate entities, the county intended to further boost via market-oriented ways inheritance and protection of grand choruses of Dong ethnic minority and enrich at the same time the rural cultural tourism landscape.
Setting stages beside the main streets of Zhaoxing village, "village chorus" competitions resembling roadside concerts have become a regional cultural brand, appealing to crowds of tourists from near and far with the gorgeous attires, pleasant voices and graceful dancing steps of chorus teams of Dong ethnic minority.
By taking part in the "village chorus" competitions, Lan Chenghong, a reputed local singer from Yandong Town believed that chorus teams could speak for the happy life of local people and enjoy together with tourists traditional local delicacies such as sticky rice and salted fish and meat.
Statistics showed that since mid February of this year, "village chorus" competitions have helped Zhaoxing Village attract about 141,100 travelers and add new impetus to local cultural tourism development.
(Edited by Duan Jing with Xinhua Silk Road, duanjing@xinhua.org)
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