Sanyuesan Festival blends heritage with modernity in Guangxi

NANNING — Just days ahead of Sanyuesan, a traditional ethnic festival in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, a unique musical endeavor unfolded at a kindergarten in the heart of the regional capital Nanning.

Inside the brightly lit auditorium, Huang Shaozheng, a retired English professor in his 60s and a Zhuang culture advocate, along with Jake Philip Tucker, a 28-year-old English teacher and trained musician from the United Kingdom, were on a quest to blend the timeless folk songs of Liu Sanjie, the legendary "Song Fairy" and a cultural icon of the local Zhuang culture, with contemporary flair, bridging heritage and modernity.

Sanyuesan Festival is the perfect platform for this cultural fusion. Held annually on the third day of the third month of the Chinese calendar, this beloved event, which fell on March 31 this year, transformed the region into a kaleidoscope of music, dance and tradition, drawing together China's rich array of ethnic groups.