Ninety Tibetan farmers from Xigaze Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region recently gave traditional Tibetan "Duixie" Dance in Beijing's Great Hall of the People, which aroused great public attention.

"Duixie" originated from Tibetan tribes in the upper reaches of the Yarlungzangbo River in Tibet thousands of years ago. Performers have to sing and dance simultaneously accompanied by traditional Tibetan guitars.

Recalling his Beijing journey, Dawa, a 43-year-old Tibetan performer, said excitedly," We never expected that we could demonstrate our traditional culture in the capital, for most of us couldn't speak the 'common speech'."

Dawa can earn 15 thousand yuan (US$1,907) a year by performing "Duixie." Before he joined a local troupe, Dawa's family members made their living on a 0.4-hectare farmland planting highland barley, and their total annual income was less than 2000 yuan ($254).

The local troupe was set up in November 2005 with 90 members, 50 of them male. Currently their annual income per capita can at least reach 10 thousand yuan ($1,271). 

"Duixie" originated from Tibetan tribes in the upper reaches of the Yarlungzangbo River in Tibet thousands of years ago. Performers have to sing and dance simultaneously accompanied by traditional Tibetan guitars.

(Chinanews.cn November 23, 2006)