Singing across the canyon

People in vibrantly colored ethnic costumes bob around in the dense greenery of Langyuan Park, a quiet oasis in Beijing's western Shijingshan district on a late March afternoon.

As one ventures deeper, the aroma of coffee hits, pulling visitors to a cluster of stalls that have laced the park's central plaza with specialties from Lushui, thousands of kilometers away in the Nujiang Grand Canyon of southwestern Yunnan province.

With distinctive local accents, staff members move through the crowd with trays, offering small cups to curious hands. "Please, try it. This is coffee from our home, grown at the foot of the Gaoligong Mountains," they say.

Nearby, tables are laden with an array of fragrant spices, dried fruits, and handicrafts that tempt visitors to pause and sample.

As many are still indulging in the gourmet experience, a sudden chorus of voices pierces through the air. It is so high and soaring that it seems to come not from human throats but from eagles gliding on thermals.

It freezes the hands holding coffee and silences the murmur of voices over the fair.

All of this is a tourism and cultural promotional event for Lushui, offering a glimpse of the unique charm of the capital of the Nujiang Lisu autonomous prefecture.