The "Village Songs" event site. (Photo provided by the Liping Dong Grand Choir Art Troupe) On January 27, with just one day remaining until the recording of the "Village Songs" performance, Zhong Shengli, head of the Liping Dong Grand Choir Art Troupe, drove to Zhaoxing Dong Village in Liping County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, to deliver a final mobilization speech at the performance rehearsal site. "In addition to recording five 'Village Songs' for this performance, we also plan to incorporate the blueprint outlined in the provincial government work report into our songs, transforming it into music that ordinary people can easily understand," Zhong Shengli stated in an interview.
The provincial government work report proposed deepening the integrated development of culture, tourism, and sports. It emphasized continuously hosting brand activities with a "village" theme and widely carrying out public cultural activities. Zhong Shengli expressed excitement, saying, "The directive to 'continuously host brand activities with a village theme' is an affirmation of our work and gives us even more confidence. The 'Village Songs' event has now held 54 competitions, attracting 450 village song teams and over 12,000 singers from the Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi regions. Using culture as a bond, 'Village Songs' has generated tangible developmental benefits."
From January to November 2025, Zhaoxing Scenic Area received 1.4197 million tourist visits, generating comprehensive tourism revenue of 1.413 billion yuan. "This March, the Yale University Choir from the United States will also take the stage at the 'Village Songs' event," Zhong Shengli said. From attracting choirs from countries like the United States, Russia, and Italy for exchange visits, to the "Village Song Troupe" performing in nations such as Norway and Sweden, "Village Songs" uses music as a medium to build a bridge for dialogue between Chinese villages and the world.
Regarding development plans for the new year, Zhong Shengli is full of anticipation. "The next step involves building a five-tier competition system spanning 'Village - Prefecture - Province - Nation - International.' We will develop the 'Village Songs' performance brand, create the 'Guizhou Village Songs Tour' tourism product, and establish a routine where there is singing every day, activities every week, competitions every month, and themed events every season."