A grassland reunion in New York

Inner Mongolian folk-rockers Hanggai return to Lincoln Center, fusing ancient throat singing with modern beats, Chen Nan reports.

When Hanggai returns to New York's Lincoln Center on Saturday, the acclaimed band from the Inner Mongolia autonomous region will bring far more than a concert. Its performance promises a musical journey that bridges ancient traditions, contemporary rock and nearly two decades of cultural exchange.

The eight-member ensemble, known for blending the old Mongolian art of khoomei, or throat singing, and folk musical instruments like the two-stringed tavshuur lute and the morin khuur (horse-headed fiddle), with contemporary musical influences, will perform as part of Lincoln Center's Chinese Arts Week. The weeklong festival showcases the richness of Chinese artistic traditions.

"For Hanggai, this is a very meaningful return since 2013," says lead vocalist and founder Ilich. "It has been many years since we performed there. We are coming back with a new album and a new understanding of our music."

The 90-minute concert will spotlight the band's latest album, Wheel of Fortune, released in 2024 after six years in the making, alongside fan favorites spanning its career since Hanggai was founded in 2004.