Chinese tunes echo in New Zealand

Liu Zheng, national A-level conductor from the Beijing Symphony Orchestra introduces traditional Chinese music and instruments at the lecture, Auckland, New Zealand, May 2, 2017. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

A lecture on traditional Chinese music and instruments in Auckland, New Zealand, attracted 500 local audience members on May 2.

The lecture was chaired by Liu Zheng, national A-level conductor from the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and Zhu Lin, professor from China Conservatory of Music.

Liu first introduced the history and features of gu zheng (a Chinese plucked zither) and pi pa (a four-stringed plucked musical instrument). Liu and two Chinese artists also performed a trio at the lecture to let the audience hear the difference between the two instruments and a violin.

The instruments from China and the west jointly created a beautiful sound, impressing the audience.

Accompanied by a young artist's performance, Zhu introduced her work Jiang Zhou Fu, a melody inspired by an ancient Chinese poem.

Zhang Heqing, culture consul from the Chinese Consulate-General in Auckland, addressed the lecture. He highly praised the contribution the lecture made to the cultural exchanges between China and New Zealand with the background of the Belt and Road Initiative.

As a part of the Chinese Culture Talks, the lecture aims to let the local people know the development of traditional Chinese music and also encouraged foreign artists to create new music with Chinese artists.

Launched in 2015 by the Ministry of Culture, the Chinese Culture Talk is a series of high-level cultural and academic lectures. More than 70 activities and lectures have been held in more than 30 countries, including the US, France, Italy, Cambodia and Indonesia. The content varies from philosophy, religion, cultural heritage, literature and art, costume, cooking and Chinese medicine.