Xi praises distinctive Dong culture in ethnic village

GUIYANG -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visited a Dong ethnic village in Southwest China's Guizhou province on Monday afternoon, praising the distinctive culture of the ethnic group as "deeply traditional and remarkably stylish."

Xi watched a performance of the grand song of the Dong ethnic group, a form of a folk chorus inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, in the Zhaoxing Dong village in Liping county.

He also explored the features of the village, visited the Dong culture exhibition center, and inspected a local base of special industry featuring weaving, dyeing and embroidery.

"Stilt houses, ancient villages, intangible cultural heritage instruments, the grand song of the Dong people, and batik craftsmanship all embody the unique charm of this ethnic culture -- both deeply traditional and remarkably stylish," Xi said.

He expressed the hope that with the support of the Party and the government, the villagers will live better lives, further advance rural revitalization, and contribute to the progress of Chinese modernization.