On home ground

All of a sudden, an idea hit both Li and Khuslen. They wanted to perform for their families, friends and a hometown audience.

"We grew up playing near the lake. We'd been away from home for years, and the moment we returned to the lake, we felt like going back to our childhood. It made me realize how much I missed my home and how beautiful my home was," says Li, who was born to a Han ethnic father and a Mongolian mother. He learned to dance at the age of 14 at an art school in Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and later gained a fan base by performing on the Chinese reality TV show, So You Think You Can Dance, in 2014.

"We've performed for people around the country. Since we both returned home, we hoped to perform for people we love and people who may not have any chance to watch live performances," says Khuslen, 41, referring to nomadic families living in remote areas of Inner Mongolia.

On Aug 9, 2020, they drove to the Gobi Desert region in Urad Rear Banner, where they performed a show for over 100 local herdsmen. So far, they have performed 45 shows by visiting over 50 villages and townships in Inner Mongolia.