Beauty of intangible cultural heritage in Xinjiang's Aksu: Kuqa's plate dance

The plate dance is an ancient folk traditional dance in Kuqa county, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, featuring a mixed style of both strength and tenderness.

Dancers put a bowl or a plate on the head while executing various movements. The steps are variations of sainaimu, a popular folk song and dance form in Xinjiang. Dancers hold their arms horizontally or put one arm on the chest to show the dance steps while maintaining balance.

The plate dance, absorbing the art of folk acrobatics, has exhibited great vitality by gradually changing into a real art form from what it originally was, an improvised performance to fuse together the festive atmosphere.

(Compiled by Yu Dian)