Tibetan Guozhuang Circle Dance

Guozhuang dance originated in ancient Tibetan fire-hearth rituals, where 'guozhuang' literally means 'dancing around the hearth.' It evolved into a widespread communal festival dance across Tibetan-inhabited regions.

Dancers form two lines — male and female — stepping and singing in unison. Large-scale performances with dozens or even hundreds of dancers occur during Tibetan New Year and Wanguo Festival celebrations in Jiuzhaigou villages.

Guozhuang dance is a key expression of Tibetan cultural identity and communal solidarity, inscribed on the first national ICH list in 2006.