"She corrected my pronunciation and performance mistakes, something I could never achieve just by watching videos," Elham says.

They met during the Xinjiang Is a Nice Place intangible cultural heritage showcase, which opened last Friday in Hotan.

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Xinjiang government, the event carried the theme Nurturing Xinjiang with Culture, Enriching Life with Heritage.

The main venue, Yotkan folk culture and tourism town, brought together 435 representative ICH programs and 383 inheritors from Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and 25 other provinces, regions and municipalities.

Through exhibitions, stage performances and cultural fairs, the showcase highlighted the achievements of ICH preservation, transmission and interregional cooperation, while fostering exchanges among different ethnic groups.