To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45), a special performance featuring Chinese traditional kouji (vocal imitation) was held in the Tianqiao Theater on Monday and Tuesday.

The performance featured the talents of Niu Yuliang, the representative inheritor of this national intangible cultural heritage, and 13 of his students.

During the performance, the group performed classic acts passed on from earlier dynasties such as imitating different bird calls or the beating sound of a drum, as well as some more modern fare such as imitating the sound effects heard in many today's films.

A traditional folk art that can trace its history in China to nearly 2,300 years ago, kouji makes use of the mouth, teeth, lips, throat, uvula and jaws to imitate different sounds.

The folk art was officially listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in May 2011.