The Nutcracker

Time: May 5

Place: Wuhan Theater

Enjoy a fairy tale come to life with this amazing production, presented by the famous Russian State Ballet. The ballet tells the story of a little girl who receives a nutcracker as a present on Christmas Eve. Suddenly, it transforms into a little prince, and he takes the girl on a voyage through the Land of Snow. This production is a superb performance which lived up to the mystery of the charming Russian classic.

Hello Sadness

Time: Ongoing until May 1

Place: Shanghai Art Theater

This play is adapted from the 1954 French novel Bonjour Tristesse, written by Francoise Sagan when she was only 18. The story is about a 17-year-old girl, Cecile, who lives with her father Raymond. When Raymond finally decides to settle down with a woman, Cecile worries about how her life will change, and she tries to destroy the marriage. Be prepared for a sad ending.

Rain Zone

Time: Ongoing until June 19

Place: Zhujiang Party Pier Beer Culture & Art Zone, Guangzhou

If you have wondered what it is like to walk in the rain without getting wet, this is an exhibition you shouldn’t miss. This artistic equipment allows visitors to walk through falling water, but sensors make sure that the water stops falling wherever a person is standing. The experience will provide you with the interesting feeling that you’re controlling the rain.

Claude Monet

Time: May 1 to Aug 31

Place: Beijing World Art Museum

If you are an art fan who also enjoys modern technology, you should make time for this multimedia exhibition. The high-tech art show displays about 400 copies of Claude Monet’s work and records the life of the artist himself. The exhibition takes you through Monet’s artistic career. With the help of 3-D technology, visitors can also travel to Monet’shometown to see how his masterpieces were created.

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was enlisted in the World Heritage by the UNESCO in 1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands and mountains, stretching about 6,700 kilometers from east to west of China. With a history of more than 2,000 years, some parts of the Great Wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions around the world.

No one can tell for sure when the building of the Great Wall was started, but it is popularly believed that it originated as a military fortification(要塞) against intrusion by tribes on the borders during the earlier Zhou Dynasty. Late in the Spring and Autumn Period, some states extended the defence work to prevent the attacks from other states.

Further construction also experienced several dynasties. The present Great Wall in Beijing is mainly remains from the Ming Dynasty. Today, the Great Wall has become a must-see for every visitor to China. Few can help saying “Wow” when they stand on top of a beacon tower and look at this giant dragon. It has become a national pride of Chinese people.

Music is a Universal Language

“Music is the universal language of mankind.” – Henry Longfellow

Everyone has the inborn ability to understand and enjoy music. There are many theories as to why this is, but it has become a part of human beings. Since the beginning, humans have expressed themselves through music. Simple tribal rhythms evolved into many types of more complex music, including classical, rock, jazz, and R&B. While the styles between these many types of music may vary, everyone is able to understand and relate to them.

What are the essential parts of a language? Every language uses vocabulary, or a set of words, to create sentences that convey messages. The tone and style of the sentences convey different feelings or emotions. Music is exactly the same way. Twelve tones, or notes, are combined to create phrases that also convey emotion. Music can even be written, like most other languages. Conversations even take place in music. Two saxophonists can play melodies back and forth, expressing different styles and feelings, building off of each other, responding to each other. Music changes over the years like other languages. Most people who speak fluent English cannot read one of Shakespeare’s plays because the language has changed so much. Music is also affected by time, and over a long period, many new types of music and instruments have emerged to create different sounds and convey different messages. There are so many similarities between vocal language and music that they must be same.

I recently had a chance to experience conversation through music. In 2008, I traveled to Manila, Philippines to participate in a high school jazz exchange where many students from all over Asia came together to share their talents. Everyone was mixed into different small groups to prepare for a concert at the end of week. Few people spoke fluent English so vocal communication was very tough. However, it wasn’t needed. Everyone seemed to understand each other simply through the music and there were few times where direct translation was needed. At the performance, every group played for a live audience. They all sounded phenomenal and it felt like they were in perfect time and harmony. During my group’s performance, I was able to improvise with a Korean boy who spoke very little English. But we managed to have a conversation through our instruments, building off each other’s riffs until we were creating our own melody on the fly. It was a great experience.

Because of the many similarities that music shares with other languages, it is a very effective way to communicate with others. Music brings us together, connects us with other people, and allows us to express ourselves in ways that are different from speech and writing. It has the ability to convey emotions and messages to the core of people, which is why Henry Longfellow is absolutely correct when he states that “music is the universal language of mankind.”

Music is a Universal Language