Students from the Beijing Dance Academy practice a Xinjiang folk dance. [Photo by Zou Hong/China Daily]
Meshrep, which means "forever gathering" in Uygur, is a form of activity combining dancing, singing and entertaining games.
A complete Meshrep event includes a rich collection of traditions and performance arts, such as music, dance, drama, folk arts, acrobatics, oral literature, dining customs and games.
The events are found among the Uygur people inhabiting China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Meshrep is one of the most important cultural carriers of Uygur traditions.
The event plays various roles among the Uygur people. It is like a "court", in which preservation of moral standards is ensured as a platform and basis of traditional customs.