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    TAJIK EAGLE DANCE

    Written by: Cheng Wanli
    Posted on: July 02, 2013 |

    Grand get together on the Pamirs

    The Tajik people are scattered throughout China, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and India. There are the Tajiks of the plains and those of the highlands. The majority of the Tajik people inhabit the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County in Kashgar area and Zepu, Shache, Yecheng, Pishan and Aktao Counties in southern Xinjiang, with a population of over 40,000. These are the highland Tajiks and the only original white people speaking the Indo-European language.

    Tajik Eagle Dance

    The Pamirs plateau where the Tajik people live is a converging place of the Tianshan, Kunlun, Gangdisi, Xindukushi and Himalaya Mountains. A Tajik proverb says, “A person’s navel is on his belly while the world’s navel is on the Pamirs”. The flying eagle is their totem and receives great worship. The Tajiks believe that the eagle is the king of animals and represents an image of honesty, kindness, bravery, strength, and justice. Therefore, heroes, sages, and outstanding young men are respected by the Tajiks as eagles. The eagle flute and eagle dance evidently show their worship to this bird.

    There are more than a dozen legends concerning eagles, and four concerning the eagle lute and eagle dance. Although the details of these legends vary slightly, they all tell a similar story: a kind Tajik was bullied by evil. An eagle helped the poor Tajik to resist and died ultimately in order to protect the man. The eagle asked the kind person to make a lute with his wing bone. When the lute is played, the world will be full of happiness. Then the kind person played the lute and girls began to imitate the eagle’s actions with the music. Gradually, the Tajik arts - the eagle flute and eagle dance - came into being.

    Because these dance movements imitate the movement of eagles, the traditional Tajik dance is named the Eagle Dance, derived from their worship of their gods and ancestors (including the totem). The steps of the dance imitate the eagle’s soaring, diving, wheeling and joyful flying. A seven-eighth rhythm is used for both the music and the dance. At first, one dancer goes onto the field and dances. Then he invites another. They begin to move forward slowly with their arms spread, like two eagles hovering. When the music begins to play faster, they chase and play with each other. Once they get close, they spin away immediately. They rise or squat suddenly, or jump while spinning. The women’s dance movements are much softer, but also imitate eagles. There are no fixed dance steps, so everyone can dance in their own style. At festivals, wedding ceremonies, and other gatherings, two musicians alternatively play eagle flutes and two women beat the hand-drum (a small drum similar to the tambourine), while the old and young alike join in the spectacular dance.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021