Xinjiang Uyghur Muqam

The Xinjiang Uyghur Muqam is the collective name for the muqam traditions found across the Uyghur areas of Xinjiang; the "Twelve Muqam" is shared by Kashgar, Hotan, Aksu and Ili yet each place keeps its own style, a grand art form uniting song, dance and music. It was inscribed on UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2005 and entered China's first national ICH list in 2006.

A muqam performance weaves together solo, duet and choral singing with instrumental accompaniment on the dutar, tambur, rawap and daf (hand drum); its melodies rise and fall over rich rhythms, at once improvisational and communal, often heard at weddings, festivals and other gatherings.

Muqam carries the historical memory, philosophy and aesthetic feeling of the Uyghur people and is called the "encyclopaedia" of their culture; it is a vital witness to the cultural mingling of the Silk Road and holds outstanding value for the study of folk music, dance and Central Asian cultural exchange.

Traditional Uyghur song and dance including muqam can be heard at places such as Yining's Kazanqi folk tourism area.