by Xinhua writer Shi Yifei

URUMQI, April 28 (Xinhua) -- In a village tucked away on the fringes of the Taklamakan Desert, the largest desert in China, a group of international tourists drifts into a sea of music.

Here in Jiayi Village, at the heart of Aksu Prefecture in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the air is alive as the locals sing and dance with breathtaking grace.

Among the group of tourists is Gopal Khanal from Nepal, fully immersed in the experience. "It's so enchanting, I can't resist joining in. It pulls at my heart and connects me to them on a deeply emotional level," said Khanal, head of the Foreign Department of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

Khanal is one of the delegates to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization political parties forum held in Urumqi last week.

After the forum, delegates from India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, and Afghanistan traveled to Jiayi Village in Aksu's Xinhe County.

Famed for its handcrafted traditional musical instruments, the village has become a celebrated gem across China, affectionately known as the "Village of Ethereal Music."

As the visitors ventured deeper into the village, more surprises awaited them. Music, with its mysterious and almost magical power to transcend boundaries, became the thread that wove together the diverse cultures present.

"In Pakistan, we have instruments just like these," exclaimed Faiza Mir, an assistant professor at the Department of International Relations, University of Balochistan, Pakistan.

Her eyes lit up with delight as she pointed to instruments like the Dutar, Tambur, and Hasake Dongbula.

"We have these instruments in India as well. It's astonishing to find such a deep cultural connection between the locals and representatives from other nations," said Ganesan Devarajan, general secretary of the All India Forward Bloc.

"When I speak with the Nepali and Pakistani delegates, they too recognize these instruments as part of their cultural heritage," Devarajan added. "It's evident that these musical traditions stretch across the entire region, albeit under different names."

Hundreds of years ago, merchants, travelers, and envoys carried these musical instruments across Central and Southern Asia, creating the cultural symphony we see today, Mir explained.

Jiayi was once a prominent hub along the ancient Silk Road, with its music and dance gaining widespread popularity along this historic trade route.

Mir remarked that the ancient Silk Road fostered a shared culture among the countries along its route, and countries should actively engage with the Belt and Road Initiative, using cultural exchanges to enhance trade and economic ties.

"We must ensure that this interconnectivity is passed on to future generations," Devarajan added, his voice softening as he spoke of his grandson, born just the week before.

While visiting a local musician's home, Mir picked up a Dongbula, settled onto the couch, and began playing the instrument, humming a melody in her native language.

Later, she explained that she was singing, "Long live the Pakistan-China friendship."

At the Jiayi handmade musical instrument industrial park, several craftsmen were busy creating instruments, while others promoted them through live-streaming on e-commerce platforms.

Marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship in the local cooperatives, Devarajan was heartened by the fact that the locals had not only embraced their cultural heritage but also found livelihoods through crafting these instruments.

Jiayi Village has a long history of handmade instrument production, spanning over 300 years, with the skill being passed down through generations of villagers.

In 2008, Uygur musical instrument-making techniques were added to China's national list of intangible cultural heritage.

"Currently, out of the village's 1,309 residents, 254 are involved in instrument making, crafting over 50 types of instruments," said Guo Xiaokun, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Aksu Prefecture.

In the past, the villagers primarily relied on agriculture, with only a few families involved in instrument-making, Guo explained. "It wasn't until recent years that instrument-making grew into an industry, thanks to government support, the establishment of cooperatives, the registration of trademarks, and the standardization of production processes."

In 2020, e-commerce platforms emerged as a vital sales channel, significantly expanding the market for musical instruments from Jiayi.

"Sales reached approximately 1 million yuan in 2024 (about 138,800 U.S. dollars), marking a 200,000 yuan increase compared to 2023," Guo said.

As it was time for the group of visitors to depart, Mohamed Afoo Hamid, a member of the People's National Congress of the Maldives, bought a set of four miniature musical instruments as a souvenir.

Having briefly participated in an exchange program at Peking University in 2019, Hamid was on his first visit to Xinjiang. Before this, he had known little about the region.

Hamid noted that this visit had been an eye-opener, revealing both the remarkable development of Xinjiang and the warmth of its people.

"China's development is not the privilege of a few, but a development for all the people. No one is left behind," Devarajan said.