North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region recently launched a project to restore and digitize the audio-visual archives of Ulan Muqir art troupes, local authorities said.

Ulan Muqir (Red Bud Troupe) is the Mongolian name for a traveling troupe that travels from one grazing site to another, performing for the herdsmen who live in some of China's most remote areas.

The archives bureau of Inner Mongolia have collected damaged audio tapes and video cassettes that document the history of Ulan Muqir from seven banners. They will be restored, digitized and made accessible to the public.

The audio-visual archives contain the literary and artistic creations of Ulan Muqir art troupes between 1950s and 1990s and the pictures of many old artists. 

But as old tape and video recorders become harder to find and due to tape aging, rescuing the archives is considered an urgent matter.

The first Ulan Muqir art troupe was formed in Sonid Right Banner, Inner Mongolia, in 1957. Since then, generations of artists have performed for the herdsmen and taken root in the prairie.