Walking down Danjielin road, next to Bangkor Street in Lhasa, at night you’ll hear melodious folk music reverberating through the air, as this is the time the Laya Sherpa band performs.

If you come to Pubacang restaurant you can witness a bustling Duixie (folk music) performance. From 2011 this group, with an average age of 50 years old, has consistently been performing here. Tashi Dorje is the band’s leader, Zhamunian (guitar) player and organizer.

66-year-old Tashi Dorje has done accounting, driven a tractor and taught Tibetan language, but has never given up his obsession of traditional Tibetan arts.

At 13 he started playing the flute, which opened the door to the sanctuary of traditional Tibetan arts. Afterwards, under the tutelage of a folk artisan Tenzin Gyatso, he learned the traditional art of Langma Duixie singing and dancing, and taught Tashi Tsering (formerly Tibetan Palace Karba, Tibet University teacher and Lhasa Zhamunian successor) how to play the Zhamunian. Tashi Dorje eagerly absorbed the essence of traditional Tibetan music. He still treasures his old Walkman, which has recorded moments from his artistic career.

Occasionally, Tashi Dorje is invited to perform at weddings, to which he gladly accepts every time, not to make money, but to bring happiness to the newly-weds.

Performing Duxie every night also allows him to display his skill in full spirit. When asked if he is tired, he says that he likes it so will never be tired; asked why he works so hard, he says that while he’s alive he wants to make sure his skills are passed on.

Tashi Dorje often stays “everyone has to face death, so we should pass on everything worthy of passing on, as there’s no point in taking it with you”. This is the persistence of an old artist on his own artistic trail, acting as the bearer for future generations.