Xinjiang's Tacheng named 'International Accordion-Friendly City'

The festival has grown into one of Tacheng's signature cultural events. Last year's edition saw 5,282 performers taking the stage at the same time, earning recognition as the world's largest accordion ensemble by Guinness World Records.

This year's opening ceremony was structured in three movements, reflecting on themes of international exchange, preservation of local cultural heritage, and shared national aspirations.

Dauren Duysenkhanov of the Kazakh ethnic group has performed at the festival every year. He is an accordionist and one of the founders of the Tacheng Accordion Museum. "The sound of the accordion brings me joy, and it also brings people from different ethnic groups closer together," he said. "Here in Tacheng, the accordion is no longer just for festivals and celebrations; it has become a warm language of hospitality and cross-cultural exchange."