Wondrous Xinjiang: Young dream chaser and his ambition

URUMQI -- As an ambitious music lover, 19-year-old Meiulajan Maimait yearns to learn and master all Uygur musical instruments.

The young man is born in Qiman township which is known as the hometown of the Muqam, the traditional art of the Uygur ethnic group in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

"I have been fond of folk music and dancing since I was a child," he said. "I always let my parents take me to wedding ceremonies where people dance to the music. I am the best dancer in our village."

Now Meiulajan Maimait has mastered two traditional instruments including the Uygur hand drum. The ambitious music lover is challenging another instrument named Rewap at the instruction of his teacher Kurban Niyaz, a skilled Muqam musician.

"It might not be practical to master all Uygur musical instruments for me," said Meiulajan Maimait. "But that won't stop me from pursuing my dream."

He found himself a job as a projectionist to support his music dream and needs to show 300 films for villagers and students each year. Passing through different villages, he gets inspired by not only the movie plots but the rosy lives of the villagers.

The Qiman township set up a Muqam folk art troupe to better protect and inherit the traditional art. Meiulajan Maimait joined the troupe after graduating from a technical school, performing the ancient art across Xinjiang while perfecting his skills.

Every day, the young man is taking solid steps closer to his music dream although he has a long way to go.

The Twelve Muqams, known as the "Mother of Uygur Music," is a group of classical music pieces combining Uygur singing, dancing and music, and is considered a treasure of Chinese ethnic music.

The unique art had almost become lost before the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Thanks to the unremitting efforts of the government, as well as local folk artists, the art lives on today.

In 2005, Xinjiang Uygur Muqam Arts of China was approved by UNESCO as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity."