Beyond the vast skies over the Kenyan island of Lamu off the shores of East Africa, a beautiful reddish-yellow sunset looms in the west as the moon and stars become faintly visible in the east.

As the most important traditional Chinese holiday, Spring Festival is the biggest time for family reunions.

In fifth grade, in the midst of Lunar New Year festivities, I spent hours and hours after school with my friend working on our lantern to enter in a contest held by my elementary school in Taiwan.

The world lost a major figure in American arts and activism on January 27. Pete Seeger, who revolutionized through music, passed away at the age of ninety-four.

The China Folklife Festival program team is deep in the process of preparing for this summer’s activities.

For many days to come, people of all races, ethnic groups, classes, ages, ideologies, and politics will be sharing their memories

With new leadership in this moment of transition and possibility, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage at the Smithsonian has sought feedback and perspective.

The last vestiges of the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival have been removed from the Mall, but the long-term planning required to mount next year’s Festival is already well under way.

The choral musical tradition widespread in southwestern China’s Dong communities is an a cappella polyphony.

This summer we are honored to present a special preview of the 2014 program focusing on China