Rescue and Protection of Xinjiang Traditional Arts
( 2005-09-13 )

A final batch of representative pieces consist of:musical instruments(such as the ghijak (four-stringed fiddle), dutar (two-stringed lute), rewap (three-stringed lute), satar (stringed lute), tambur (a kind of stringed instrument), dap (a percussion instrument), dombura (two-stringed instrument), qobuz (a stringed instrument), hawk flute, and so on) of the Uygurs, Kazaks, Kirgizs, and Tajiks; and horsewhips of the Kazaks, Kirgizs and Tajiks.

All of the above intricate objects are a good reflection of Xinjiang people's aesthetics.

 Cultural Facilities and Community Culture

In view of the people's increasing need for a richer cultural life, Xinjiang has been intensifying efforts in building cultural infrastructures, especially since the reform and opening-up in the late 1970s. It has built 1,112 public institutions and venues, including 15 provincial-and-municipal art centers, 92 county/city cultural centers, and 924 township cultural activity stations. In addition, 6,886 cultural activity rooms have also been set up in administrative villages in farming and herding areas.

There are altogether 81 public libraries in the whole autonomous region (16 at provincial and municipal levels and 65 at county/city levels), with a total collection of more than 6.3 million books. The well-equipped Library of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in particular, is a landmark building of the provincial capital of Urumqi, with its title inscribed by former PresidentJiang Zemin.

Meanwhile, with the support of cultural administrations, distinctly local-flavored community cultural activities are also prospering at all levels across the autonomous region, including the Uygur Meshrep and Muqam singing, the Kazak Aken Music Parties, the Mongol Nadam andAobao(stone mounds) festivals, the Hui Flower Sing-together, the Kirgiz Qobuz concerts and Manas singing, the Xibe Westward Movement Festival, the Tajik Ziwu'er and Balati Lamp Festival, the Tartar Shaban Festival, and the HanSpring Festivalcelebrations. These activities, incorporating traditional festivals with various cultural entertainments, have proved very appealing to the public and have greatly broadened their cultural life.