Anshun city in southwest China's Guizhou Province is home to Buyi people, one of the country's 55 ethnic minorities. Over the past thousands of years, they have developed a rich culture based on farming, and have preserved their traditional architecture and music.

Locals sing two types of songs, some known as major key and some as minor. The major is used to mark key occasions, such as wedding ceremonies, and funerals. While the minor relates to more everyday themes such as romantic love.

The song in the video, part of the Panjiang Minor, reflects the Buyi people' politeness and hospitality in welcoming visiting guests. Locals say the history of the song can be traced back hundreds of years, during the Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1912). It's just one of an array of melodies that mark the sounds of this distinctive culture.

Locals sing it while paying visits to relatives and friends, and the hosts join them in singing. The tune is played with a stringed instrument, a bamboo flute, and sometimes, tree leaves.

In 2005, Panjiang Minor – originating from areas around Guanling county – was listed as a provincial intangible cultural heritage. And the locals have been working to apply for a national level designation.

Panjiang Minor lost its prominence in recent decades, but in recent years, there has been a continued effort to revive the art form. Folk artists have been encouraged to pass down this legacy to the younger generation.