President Xi Jinping wrote on Tuesday to a traveling troupe that performs for herdsmen in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, calling on them to promote literary and artistic innovation and continue producing excellent work.

Xi was answering a letter from performers in an ulan muqir - the Mongolian name means traveling troupe. They also are called red bud troupes.

"In the new era, I hope you can carry forward the fine tradition of ulan muqir, to draw inspiration from this life and serve the herdsmen," said Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

"I am pleased to see your growth and progress, and I understand your love for the cause, and your deep feelings for the Party and the people," Xi said.

Sixteen performers of the Sunite Right Banner Ulan Muqir troupe wrote to Xi recently, saying they were committed to the development of socialist literature and art.

There are 75 ulan muqir that bring 7,000 performances to the prairies of Inner Mongolia each year. The performances are wide-ranging and may include song, dance and acting. They move from one grazing site to another, performing in some of China's most remote areas. Since the troupes were formed in 1957, generations of performers have played for the herdsmen.

Xinhua