Inner Mongolia comes alive through decades-old troupe

By Chen Nan (China Daily)

Updated: 2015-05-29

Ulan Muqir Art Troupe from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region stages two shows in Beijing in May. Zou Hong / China Daily

The 54-year-old was born in Tongliao, in eastern Inner Mongolia and joined the troupe in 1975.

He says there are 74 branch troupes across Inner Mongolia and actors give around 100 shows every year to local nomadic people.

"I can still recall the days when I toured with the troupe in the early '80s. We sat on the back of pickup trucks for hours. The sky was blue, and we couldn't help but sing the folk songs," Nasun says.

The vastness of Inner Mongolia and the lack of entertainment options for people living there, made their lives lonely.

"The nomadic people were very excited about our visits," Nasun recalls. "We didn't have a formal stage. The audience just sat on the grass. Usually, the performances became a big party with local people joining in."

For him, the rewarding part about touring isn't just about sharing art with nomadic families but also about gaining inspiration for the music and dance.