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Enjoy intangible cultural heritage in Aletun Village, NW China’s Xinjiang

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Wang Jingjing) news: On November 20, 2022, Yimit Mamat was busy renovating the concert hall in the backyard of his Muqam Research and Learning Studio in Aletun Village, Huicheng Township, Yizhou District, Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang. “This concert hall is for two people, my 70-year-old father and my 74-year-old apprentice.” He said.

Yimit, a 41-year-old, is a native of Aletun Village. When he was young, he learned to walk by holding the wood for making musical instruments, and learned to make musical instruments from his father and musical instrument makers in the village. A few years ago, he opened a studio in Aletun Ancient Street, which mainly focuses on the display and sales of musical instruments. “There are 18 kinds of musical instruments here, except for zither and dulcimer, which are all made by myself.”

Three years ago, a 71-year-old man found Yimit and wanted to be his apprentice to learn how to make instruments. “He said that he likes the atmosphere in our village. In addition to learning crafts, he also plays Muqam with my father.” Yimit said that tourists like to sit around the two elder people and take photos with them. This year, he turned his backyard into a concert hall and expects more people to visit next year.

Photo shows the intangible cultural heritage workshop of historic and cultural village in Aletun Village, Huicheng Township, Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang. (Photo by Qu Yongxin)

Aletun Village, with a strong music atmosphere, was listed in the fourth batch of "National Historic and Cultural Villages" in December 2008. The village is close to the national 4A tourist attraction, the Hami King Palace scenic spot. With the development of cultural and tourism industry and the promotion of beautiful rural construction, Aletun Village has become a popular tourist attraction. In addition to Muqam, there are embroidery, farmer painting and gourd carving art that are also famous cultural cards of Aletun Village. The rich cultural atmosphere attracts tourists from all over the world. The ancient street of Aletun Village receives more than 40,000 tourists annually, with an annual tourism income of more than 1.4 million yuan, which strongly promotes the development of rural recreational tourism and expands the channels for farmers to increase their income.

In 2022, Huicheng Township built the intangible cultural heritage workshop of historic and cultural village in Aletun Village, which mainly displays all kinds of intangible cultural heritage projects, gathers the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage such as embroidery, Muqam and paper-cutting from all over the country and sets up personal studios, providing a platform for them, so as to promote the inheritance and development of all kinds of intangible cultural heritage. "We also set up a livestreaming room for intangible cultural heritage workshop to sell products through e-commerce platforms, which not only publicizes intangible cultural heritage, but also increases craftsman’s income." Minavar Abdu, Director of Culture, Sports, Television and Tourism Service Center of Huicheng Township, said.

Photo shows the livestreaming room for the intangible cultural heritage workshop of historic and cultural village in Aletun Village, Huicheng Township, Hami City, northwest China’s Xinjiang. The livestreaming room sells products through e-commerce platforms, which not only publicizes intangible cultural heritage, but also increases craftsman’s income. (Photo by Qu Yongxin)

In addition, Huicheng Township actively communicated with the pairing assistance unit, the old city of Luoyang, and held an on-site meeting in Aletun Village to introduce Luoyang's intangible cultural heritage, such as New Year wood-block print and paper-cutting. “We also plan to go to Luoyang next year and hold the activity of 'Intangible Cultural Week' themed on Hami intangible cultural heritage in Luoyang, building a platform for cultural exchange and integration.” Qu Yongxin, Secretary of the Party Committee of Huicheng Township, said.

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