Deputies from all walks of life within China are converging on the nation’s capital, and some are expressing serious concern about the identity of Chinese culture.

Xie Zilong, a representative of the National People’s Congress, and also a photographer. He has been taking photographs of the traditional dance of the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in central China’s Hunan province.

“Hopefully, through these pictures, more people can know about the beauty of our traditional culture,” He said.

And Xie’s worry is shared by other NPC members. Many of the traditional crafts and arts are dying out with the older generation and the younger one is reluctant to carry them on.

“When we were young, nearly everyone knew the little flower drum dance, but now there’s only a handful of people. And that’s a big problem,” said He Binsheng, member of the NPC.

“To preserve and promote our traditional culture is quite different from developing our economy. It requires long-term planning and persistent effort,” said He.