This release kicks off a new series exploring China's rich and diverse musical heritage. The songs featured in this recording are folk songs of the five minority ethnic groups of Qinghai and Gansu provinces - Tu, Bonan, Dongxiang, Yugur and Salar. As with Chinese traditional visual arts, the song titles explain their mood and origin. The five minority ethnic groups that perform on this album mainly live in seven autonomous counties under the administration of the Gansu and Qinghai Provinces in northwestern China. Bordering Qinghai to the west, Gansu is located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Loess Plateau. The Yellow River flows through the southern part of Gansu, where the Qilian Mountains are located. Volume 2, Folk Songs of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang is scheduled for release in October 2019.