This unique concert celebrates the music of 8 ethnic minorities along the ancient Tea Horse Road, once a central trade route for Tibetan horses and Chinese tea. [Photo/CCTV.com]

"The Orange" is a venue in Beijing's Sanlitun Village that has always been a hotbed for the latest and hottest cultural activity. Now, as part of this year's Beijing Music Festival, it has welcomed a very unique troupe, comprised of eight ethnic minorities from Yunnan province.

The culture richness of Yunnan's ethnic minorities is once again center-stage.

This unique concert celebrates the music of 8 ethnic minorities along the ancient Tea Horse Road, once a central trade route for Tibetan horses and Chinese tea.

Highlighting the show is a group of Lagu minority musicians. Along with their guitar playing, the singers wow the audience with their stunning vocals.

The combination of western instruments and traditional folk singing creates a peculiar chemistry, even evoking a hint of Hawaiian folk music.

41 musicians present this musical feast, which includes the dynamic love duet of the Bulang minority, the hunting song of the Lagu minority, and the flute solo of the Wa people.

"I'm from the Yi minority in Yunnan province. Thanks to this platform, we were able to showcase our unique music to a wider audience," said Lu Guohua, Yi ethnic minority singer.

Most of the performers are genuine Yunnan ethnic minority people who have never been to Beijing, making this concert a very unique experience. It is indeed a remarkable homage to all the cultures that have nourished the people along the ancient Tea Horse Road.

"They are local farmers and have never received any professional training. I'm from the Lisu minority and we've gathered a total of 7 local singers. We have a very deep musical tradition. People used to say in our community, before you can walk, you dance, and before you speak, you sing," said Mu Weichun, Lisu ethnic minority singer.

Between each song, there's a video showing the musical tradition of the corresponding ethnic minority. Although most of the songs are sung in local languages, the audience seems to overcome the barrier and appreciate the music.

"Very impressive. Their voices are just amazing," said an audience.

"I've seen a similar music performance in Yunnan before and this concert brought back memories. But it was very different and I really enjoyed it," said an audience.

The concert is the first of its kind to feature all-minority music during the Beijing Music Festival. Hopefully, this will be a good start to revive China's folk music traditions and its cultural heritage.