Features
Preserving the Hezhe voices
Updated: Oct 27, 2025
By Chen Nan
China Daily
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The Hezhe are a proud ethnic group with a rich heritage rooted in fishing and hunting. Their unique culture includes mystical shamanistic dances, the haunting sounds of the jaw harp, and perhaps most notably, the traditional oral performance art of Yimakan storytelling.
In May 2016, President Xi Jinping visited Bacha village in Tongjiang. He toured a Hezhe ethnic folk exhibition and watched a performance of Yimakan storytelling. Xi praised the Hezhe people for their long history and rich culture, especially their exceptional fishing and hunting skills, elaborate arts, and the melodious charm of their Yimakan storytelling.
