China News Service, Beijing, September 23. Question: How to interpret the Chinese nation’s pursuit of “harmony” through national art performances?
——Exclusive interview with Tian Qing, librarian of the Central Research Institute of Literature and History and researcher of the Chinese Academy of Arts
China News Service reporters Zhang Yangbin Huang Xinxin
The 7th National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival, which lasted for more than a month, came to an end on the 23rd. "Folk" and "fusion" became key words: nearly one-third of the participating works came from the grassroots, and cross-cultural and cross-category fusion works continued to emerge.
When more grassroots troupes and folk artists step onto the national stage, and when more literary and artistic works are disseminated through new media such as short videos, how can the cultures of various ethnic groups be passed on while being protected and innovated through integration? In the diverse and integrated Chinese cultural landscape, how is the concept of "harmony" reflected in the co-performance and folk inheritance of arts of all ethnic groups? China News Service's "East-West Question" conducted an exclusive interview with Tian Qing, a librarian at the Central Research Institute of Literature and History and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Arts.
The interview transcript is summarized as follows:
Reporter from China News Service: There is only one word difference between national culture and folk culture. What is the relationship between the two?
Tian Qing: National culture and folk culture are two concepts that blend with each other. Within the culture of each nation, there is both elite culture and folk culture; folk culture is always the culture in the life of a specific nation. The two are just different in terms of classification. In real life, there is often me in you and you in me.
I once summarized traditional Chinese culture as "three pillars and two floors" - the three pillars refer to Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and the two floors refer to elite culture and non-material culture. Elite culture takes writing as its carrier, including collections of classics and history, Tang poetry and Song lyrics, as well as culture recorded in Tibetan, Mongolian and other ethnic texts; what was called folk culture in the past is now more often summarized as "intangible cultural heritage."
National culture uses ethnicity as the criterion for differentiation. Today we talk about national culture. On the one hand, each nation has its own rich and colorful national culture; on the other hand, we emphasize the complex of national cultures, that is, the Chinese national culture. The Chinese national culture is gradually formed by the long-term contacts, exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups.
The cultures of all ethnic groups have their own beauty, but they also have common pursuits; they all yearn for truth, goodness and beauty, pursue peace, live and work in peace and contentment, and have political clarity. They also share similar joys, sorrows, and joys, and have gone through a historical process of intertwined destiny. Although there have been conflicts, communication and integration have always been the mainstream, forming close ties. Since modern times, all ethnic groups have been invaded and bullied by imperialist powers. They have gone through wars and have a shared destiny.
After thousands of years of common development, all ethnic groups have brought their respective cultures together to create a rich and colorful Chinese culture. On this basis, a diverse, integrated and vibrant Chinese national community has been formed.
On September 17, 2026, as a repertoire of the 7th National Ethnic Minority Literature and Art Festival, Qin Opera "Red River Valley" was performed at the National Theater of China in Beijing. The play tells the story of Han and Tibetan compatriots fighting against the same enemy and defending their country. Photo by China News Service reporter Tian Yuhao
Reporter from China News Service: Since 1980, the National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival has gone through more than 40 years. There are many grassroots troupes and folk artists in various performances. Nearly one-third of the works in this year's performance come from the grassroots. When more folk art groups appear on the national stage, what role do they play in cultural protection and inheritance?
Tian Qing: In the past, the literary and artistic works of some ethnic groups usually existed in daily life, were less understood by other ethnic groups, and had fewer opportunities to be performed in Beijing.
For decades, the central and local governments have continued to excavate, organize, preserve, and create conditions for dissemination, including holding national ethnic minority cultural performances, bringing art that was originally limited to one place to a wider and more formal setting, so that more people can appreciate it. This reflects the equal treatment and common promotion of all components of Chinese national culture.
Historically, some "niche" songs have gone nationwide due to special opportunities. For example, the northern Shaanxi folk song "Riding the White Horse" was later adapted into "The East is Red" and became a representative song of New China.
Nowadays, with the convenience of transportation and the development of new media, the boundaries of region, ethnicity, language and age are gradually being broken down. Especially since the protection of intangible cultural heritage has been carried out, many cultures that were only spread in ethnic areas or rural mountains in the past have gradually become known to more people and are loved by the general public.
Reporter from China News Service: Since the beginning of this year, Northwest Flowers' "Ga Lian Hands" and the Jingpo Sword Dance have been disseminated through short videos and have received a lot of attention. In this performance, some ethnic folk literature and art that have attracted much attention on short video platforms also appeared on the stage. What significance do social media and short videos have for the inheritance of national and folk culture?
Tian Qing: The popularity of short videos has provided a broad stage for the spread of national culture and folk culture. Two aspects should be considered in this regard: First, there is contingency. Not all excellent works can achieve such a spread. Second, there is also inevitability. Works that can be widely disseminated usually have their own wonderful features. Works of poor quality are generally difficult to circulate.
Art opposes identity, similarity. Art needs to be fresh and individual. The vitality of national folk art lies in its diversity and locality. Protecting this diversity is more important than pursuing uniformity.
Reporter from China News Service: There are works in this performance that integrate ballet with Tibetan, Uyghur, and Miao dance, and there are also works that use foreign forms such as operas and musicals to tell national stories. What do you think of this cross-cultural and cross-category integration?
Tian Qing: Cross-cultural and cross-category integration is an inevitable trend, and communication and exploration should be encouraged. In this performance, some works used ballet, musicals, operas and other forms to tell national stories and expand the space for expression.
At the same time, creators should have a deep understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of different art categories and use their strengths to avoid weaknesses. For example, cross talk is suitable for criticism and satire; opera is suitable for expressing historical themes and rich characters; dance drama mainly relies on body language, and its expression vocabulary is abstract.
The key to successful integration lies in whether the form and content are consistent, and whether the creator has a deep grasp of the national cultural spirit. We should maintain respect and prudence for important historical figures and traditional cultural themes, and respect artistic laws and cultural connotations while encouraging exploration.
On August 31, 2026, Beijing Century Theater staged a still from the opera "Youth Forges Swords 221" at the 7th National Ethnic Minority Arts Festival. Photo by Niu Yungang from China News Service
Reporter from China News Service: This performance brings together music, dance and drama from different ethnic groups. You once used "harmony" to summarize Chinese culture. In your opinion, what kind of cultural pattern does this form of performing arts from different nationalities on the same stage reflect? What are the implications for the protection, integration and dissemination of ethnic and folk culture?
Tian Qing: I have refined the cultural connotation of the Chinese nation into the word "harmony". "Harmony" is the highest pursuit and common pursuit of the Chinese nation throughout history.
"He" is not "same". Similar things are still the same when put together; different things coexist and achieve harmony, which is "harmony". The Chinese have understood this very early. The family values "harmony in the family and everything prospers", and the country and nation also value "harmony". This kind of "harmony" culture makes Chinese culture non-aggressive, does not require others to be the same as oneself, and regards "harmony" as more important than "sameness".
In this performance, music, dance, and drama from different ethnic groups are on the same stage, which reflects the cultural pattern of diversity, unity, and harmonious coexistence. The inspiration it brings is that to protect national and folk culture, one should respect their differences and individuality, and seek harmony among differences; dissemination should be based on the cultural core of "harmony", show the feelings of a great country, and contribute wisdom and strength to building a community with a shared future for mankind. (End)
Interviewee profile:
Tian Qing. Photo provided by interviewee
Tian Qing is a librarian at the Central Research Institute of Literature and History and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Arts. He has long been committed to the research and promotion of Chinese traditional music, religious music and the protection of intangible cultural heritage. He has published more than 2.6 million words of academic and various works including "Chinese Religious Music", "Pure Land Tianyin", "Picking Up Golden Leaves" and "Zen and Music". In 2018, he published the nine-volume "Collected Works of Tian Qing".
