Nangqen County of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southern Qinghai Province celebrated its 50th anniversary of ethnic autonomy in July.

A festival of group dancing will be held to coincide with anniversary celebrations.

In the upper reach of the Lancang River, known as the Mekong River after it flows out of the Chinese border to Southeast Asia, Nangqen is about 1,000 kilometres away from Xining, the provincial capital, and can only be reached by land.

Nangqen is known to have preserved the purest Tibetan cultural traditions.

Whilst Khamba Tibetans are said to be gifted in singing and dancing, the Nangqen people are recognized as the best dancers.

"For many centuries Nangqen was the political and economic centre of the Yushu area," says Buzhou, deputy director of the poverty-relief office of the county. (Buzhou is also the director, choreographer and conductor of the county's dance team.)

"Our dance movements are distinguished by other parts of Yushu as more refined and graceful, and our dances are more diversified in their styles," Buzhou said.

The Nangqen people will demonstrate their rich cultural tradition at the annual horse racing festival of the prefecture when they will compete with people from other counties for group dance events.

(China Daily 08/10/2001)