China has Rich Ethnic Minority Music

China is a united nation consisting of 56 ethnic groups. Apart from the Han nationality, there are 55 ethnic groups,witha comparatively smaller population, and so they are known as "minorities."

People of all ethnic groups are known for their singing and dancing accompanied by a distinct folk music. Each ethnic group has its own history of developmenit and cultural background. On that basis, folk music with characteristics of each ethnic group was developed into a distinct style. Simiar with the Han nationality, all ethnic groups also created their own folk songs such as Flower,a song of the Hui minority,and Long Tone and Hoomei songs of Mongolia; special music types like Muqam of the Uygurs, and Dongjing music of the Naxi minority; folk dances like long-dram dance of the ethnic Korean people, timbal dance and tap dance of the Miao,Yao and Yi minorities, Andai dance of the Mongolians, Muqam of the Uygurs and Caicha dance of the Zhuang minority; and such folk operas as Tibetan Opera, Baijiu Opera of the Bai minority and Zhuangju Opera of the Zhuang minority.These songs, music types,dances and operas make up of the brilliant music culture of the Chinese nation and havean important place in Chinese music history.