On November 15, 2025, the 8th Season of 56° CSU Grassland Music Festival was successfully held in the small garden of the dormitory area at Xinglin Campus, Central South University. Hosted by four students Wang Qi, Geng Xin, Aruna and Naziyila, the cultural gala centered on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. Featuring diverse interactive sessions including ethnic food tasting, traditional costume experience, handmade craft appreciation and song and dance performances, the event showcased the charm of diverse ethnic cultures, promoted cultural integration, and sowed the seeds of friendship among students of all ethnic backgrounds.
At 5:30 p.m., the fading sunset dyed the sky warm and ignited students’ enthusiasm for experiencing ethnic customs. The on-site experience sessions officially kicked off with long queues forming at the ethnic food stalls. Signature delicacies such as hand-pulled rice and fragrant Xinjiang naan bread were highly praised by all participants. The savory Tibetan butter tea and mellow Kazakh milk tea brought warm comfort to every visitor, allowing students to truly feel the hospitality of people from distant ethnic regions.
Sipping tea with friends or quietly enjoying the lingering fragrance alone, students immersed themselves in unique ethnic customs. The profound life wisdom and touching stories of grasslands, snow-capped mountains and pastures were gently told amid curling tea mist.
The ethnic costume trial area and traditional ornament exhibition area also attracted numerous students to stop and appreciate the exhibits. Every traditional costume embodies sincere emotions in delicate stitches, while every leather and fabric craft carries profound cultural faith in sophisticated craftsmanship. While students marveled at the exquisite patterns and gorgeous colors of ethnic costumes, the photo booth became the most popular spot at the venue. The crisp jingle of ethnic silver ornaments echoed across the scene, telling the profound stories of ancient civilizations. A wide variety of exquisite handcrafted works fully displayed the ingenuity and cultural heritage of ethnic groups.
Intangible cultural heritage crafts including embroidery, leather art and weaving froze wonderful ethnic stories into tangible artworks. Students took these cultural treasures back to daily life, preserving the warmth and beauty of traditional ethnic culture.
In the cultural knowledge quiz session, students actively raised their hands before the hosts finished their questions, demonstrating solid reserves of ethnic cultural knowledge. Many participants stood out in rounds of competitions with proficient mastery of cultural trivia and won exquisite gifts. The lively and joyful atmosphere vividly reflected the harmonious unity of all ethnic groups.
The official performances kicked off at 6:30 p.m., presenting a splendid feast of multi-ethnic songs and dances amid dazzling lights and melodious music. Flexible dance moves, melodious tunes and vigorous rhythms unfolded a vivid scroll of diverse ethnic cultures. Continuous audience choruses and interactive sessions filled the venue with thunderous applause and singing, pushing the festive atmosphere to new heights.
The Kazakh group danceBlack Walking Horseopened the show with cheerful melodies and powerful dance moves, resonating with the spirit of unity and pride. The traditional folk music performancePower Over the Worldintegrated traditional musical instruments with popular tunes, bursting with youthful vitality. Student Gulinigaer’s dynamic danceAtush Sanamdelivered an immersive audio-visual feast with gorgeous costumes and rhythmic dance steps. Teacher Hali’s interactive danceLet’s Dance Happilybridged the distance between performers and the audience, as teachers and students learned dance moves together amid endless laughter and applause.
The brilliant performances ignited the enthusiasm of all audience members. The open mic session continued non-stop, where many students took the stage impromptu to sing popular songs such asSunny Day. Everyone immersed themselves in the joyful and harmonious atmosphere, serving as protagonists and cultural disseminators of this cross-ethnic gala.
More than a wonderful performance, the festival offered an immersive journey to explore diverse ethnic cultures. Students of all ethnic groups communicated, understood and learned from each other on the green lawn, internalizing the concept of “all Chinese ethnic groups are one big family” in a youthful and vivid way.
The successful conclusion of the 8th Grassland Music Festival marks the continuation of cultural inheritance and a brand-new starting point. Looking ahead, the festival will continue to gather young people with songs and dances, allowing the beauty of diverse ethnic cultures to bloom brilliantly on the green lawn.
First Reviewer: Li Ruijun
Second Reviewer: Wu Shiming
Final Reviewer: Huang Gengwen
