On the windswept plateaus of Xizang Autonomous Region, 72-year-old Yugu carries a melody older than memory itself. The eagle flute—a traditional instrument carved from vulture bones—has been his life’s soundtrack, passed down through generations. But as his vision fades, so does the future of this ancient art. 🦅🎵
Yugu’s daughter once shrugged off the flute’s haunting tunes for modern beats. Now, the elder pins his hopes on his teenage granddaughter, who’s begun humming along to practice sessions. \"It’s like teaching someone to speak a disappearing language,\" he says, determined to keep the highland ballads alive.
The eagle flute’s soulful sound, mimicking raptor cries, once echoed across Tibetan festivals and rituals. But with younger generations drawn to smartphones over bone flutes, Yugu’s quest feels straight out of a heritage rescue mission. 🚨💾
Cultural preservationists call this a \"race against silence\"—a struggle playing out globally as intangible traditions fade. Could Yugu’s granddaughter become the Hermione Granger of folk music? Only time—and TikTok’s attention span—will tell. ⏳✨
