Mixing crafts on new ground
Under the stage lights in Shihezi, a leather shadow puppet slowly raises an arm, swaying gracefully to the rhythm of melodies unique to the city in northern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Its movements are inspired by a traditional dance of the Uygur ethnic group. The music comes from local performers playing classic Uygur instruments such as the dutar and rawap. Yet, the figure dancing behind the screen belonged to Beijing's centuries-old shadow puppet tradition.
For the performers, it was an opportunity to explore how intangible cultural heritage can travel across regions, connect with new traditions and continue to evolve.
The performance was created for the 2026 Xinjiang Is a Nice Place intangible cultural heritage showcase, which opened on Thursday.
Organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Xinjiang government, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, the five-day event brought together more than 650 representative intangible cultural heritage practices and over 540 inheritors from 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.
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