Composer Liu Qing joined the orchestra's trip to Yunnan for the first time this year.

"When I met the Hani people and listened to their music, ... I was eager to compose my own works based on their folk music," says Liu, who teaches at the China Conservatory of Music.

Liu has made trips to Yunnan before. In 2005, she traveled to Tengchong, in western Yunnan, and had an unforgettable evening with the Yi people that inspired her to compose The Song of Jumping on the Moon. That night was the Torch Festival, the biggest annual event of the Yi people.

"It was raining heavily. When we thought that the festival was about to be canceled, the rain stopped. All the people in the village came out, dancing and singing. The ground was muddy, and we took off our shoes and joined the celebrations," recalls Liu.

"It's not just their music but also their lifestyle, such as food, language and clothing, which inspired me," she says. "Every score I wrote seemed to become a picture."

(China Daily 05/11/2017 page20)