Endangered Ewenki talking-singing art preserved in N China

HOHHOT - An album of traditional folk talking-singing art of the Ewenki people in North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has been recorded and published for the purpose of preservation.

The art, Nimahan, is a kind of ancient music of the nationality of Ewenki with a population of about 30,000. Lacking written language, the Ewenki artists tell myths, heroic epics and other tales of the ethnic group by talking and singing for the inheritance of their history and culture.

A collection of seven talking-singing tales in the album were performed by the 85-year-old artist He Xiuzhi, who has been preserving the language, history and oral literature of the Ewenki people.

The album was recorded and released jointly by the Inner Mongolia Arts University, the Inner Mongolia audio-visual press and other departments.

The Ewenki people mainly live in the northeastern part of Inner Mongolia and neighboring Heilongjiang province, most of whom are engaged in animal husbandry. "Ewenki" means people living in the forest.