LHASA, June 23 (Xinhua) -- On a summer street of Lhasa, capital city of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Tenzin Yexe, an inheritor of the Tibetan six-string lute art, powered up his sound system and plucked the strings, producing a deep, rustic melody.
The 33-year-old doctoral candidate at the Chinese National Academy of Arts grew up in a song-and-dance troupe in Xizang. He fell in love with the traditional instrument as a child, and still recalls his grandfather crafting a crude six-string lute from cans and fishing lines and playing captivating melodies on it.
The six-string lute is also known as the Dranyen in Tibetan, which literally means "pleasant sound." The instrument is well documented in Xizang's ancient murals and literature, and its production technique was inscribed on the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists in 2014.
Generations of musicians in Xizang have continuously refined this ancient instrument. In the 1940s, Basang Dondrup, a former court musician and professor at Xizang University, pioneered its bass register. In the 1980s, local musician Gonpo improved its structural stability by learning from guitar designs. In the 21st century, Tenzin Yexe's teacher, Dawa Tsering, enriched the lute's playing techniques.
Building on this legacy of innovation, Tenzin Yexe has developed a new batch of upgraded six-string lutes. These instruments address traditional drawbacks, such as a narrow tone range, difficult key modulation and poor ensemble adaptability. They are better suited for modern stage performances and easier to learn, making the ancient instrument more accessible to enthusiasts.
"The new prototype lutes have just been delivered under the local cultural heritage protection project," he said. "They sound almost identical to the traditional ones when you plug them in."
"I have posted short videos of myself playing the Tibetan six-string lute, including the theme song from 'Game of Thrones,'" Tenzin Yexe said. "The videos have proven popular among viewers at home and abroad."
Aside from instrumental music, Tibetan opera is another iconic intangible cultural heritage. With a history over 600 years, it is deeply beloved by local people. Considered a living fossil of Tibetan culture, Tibetan opera blends talking, singing, acting, dancing and literature. It was included on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009.
"Everyone here enjoys watching Tibetan opera and can even join in the performances," said Nyima Tsering, a national-level intangible cultural heritage inheritor and director of Tashi Chodan Community in Shannan, known as the hometown of Tibetan opera.
To promote this ancient art, Nyima Tsering has attended cultural exchanges in other Chinese cities, drawing inspiration from different opera forms on how to spread and innovate the art. Currently, the Tibetan opera troupe has introduced modern stage equipment, including LED real-time subtitle translation to help more audiences follow the storyline, as well as dynamic backdrops and stage lighting, greatly enhancing the audience's immersive experience.
The region has restored 154 Tibetan opera troupes and cultivated 13 national-level inheritors since launching the intangible cultural heritage protection project in 2005, according to the regional culture and tourism department.
In Lhasa, an annual opera season featuring classic Tibetan opera repertoires is held, with volunteer guides offering explanations in parks and shopping malls. A growing number of tourists now consider watching Tibetan opera an essential part of their cultural experience in Xizang.
"More and more people love Tibetan opera now," said Ngawang Norbu, a Tibetan opera performer. Nyima Tsering's troupe also shares performances via social media platforms, taking the ancient art nationwide.
In addition, innovation also empowers Xizang's traditional handicrafts.
With a history of over 2,000 years, Tibetan fine wool fabric is a signature local textile, among which Gyangze fabric is renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship. Local artisans have expanded traditional products from costumes and blankets to modern scarves, shawls and cushions.
Supported by unified standards and industrial development, this traditional craft has stepped onto the global stage. The products are sold in over 30 offline and online stores at home and abroad, and have debuted at Paris Fashion Week.
"At the end of last year, the first batch of Gyangze-made Tibetan fine wool fabrics were exported to the Aman Beverly Hills hotel in the United States," said Yangkyi, an official of Gyangze County.
The protection of intangible cultural heritage in Xizang has steadily improved, with 473 million yuan (about 69.56 million U.S. dollars) from the central and regional governments earmarked from 2012 to 2024 for the protection of national-level intangible cultural heritage items and other related fields, a white paper released in March 2025 noted.
The region now has 3,845 intangible cultural heritage projects, 3,156 inheritors, 238 heritage workshops and more than 100 inheritance bases, driving employment and income growth for local residents.
"Xizang's intangible cultural heritage is stepping confidently onto the global stage with new vitality," Yangkyi added. ■
