— Singing, Dancing, Instrument Playing, fighting and Cai (Treading)

Guangxi, also called Ba Gui (a large number of osmanthus trees), is known for its splendid culture and beautiful scenery. Guangxi Autonomous Region is inhabited by 12 ethnic groups, including Zhuang people, Han people, Yao people, Miao people, Dong people, Mulam people, Maonan people, Hui people, Yi people, Jing people, Sui people and Gelao people.

In Guangxi, ethnic culture is kept untouched with distinctive characteristics. It is not only the most typical appraisal from the public, but also the common self-description of Guangxi.

Besides Guangxi, however, all the other settlements of ethnic groups in China have distinctive cultures, and it can be shown in their self-descriptions. Such a description is merely a general, conventional expression rather than a specific, refined induction. Consequently, we cannot truly underline the characteristics or summarize accurately the essence of Guangxi ethnic culture; we also have difficulties in exploiting and promoting the ethnic culture and carrying out the marketing campaign for the tourism products that are centered in the ethnic culture.

Under such circumstances, we have to communicate the message of Guangxi ethnic culture in a more effective and original way, like creating concepts with rich connotations, to demonstrate and highlight its particular features -- the most representative in Lingnan (an area composed of Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan provinces and part of Hu’nan and Jiangxi provinces).

Guangxi ethnic culture is distinctive from Han culture and the culture in the other settlements of ethnic groups in terms of food, clothing, shelter, transportation, festivals, religions and customs.

Through ethnic culture research, like generalization and induction, a comprehensive analysis has been made and the leading cultural elements have been emphasized, summarizing Guangxi ethnic culture into five characteristics — “Singing, Dancing, Instrument playing, Fighting and Treading”.

Singing

“Singing”, referring to singing folk songs, is an important way of conveying feelings in daily life for the ethnic groups in Lingnan, especially Zhuang people. It can be best embodied in the saying, “Guangxi has become a sea of songs which were all composed by Liu Sanjie.” Why is Guangxi renowned as a sea of songs? The reason is simply that the residents like singing songs very much.