“Harbin is famous as an ice city, but I’m amazed by the musical events in this city,” said a tourist from Jiangsu Province. In Harbin, it is common to see people playing violins and saxophones, beating African drums or dancing to music at bus stops and public squares. People there enjoy music and have good taste. They are both performers and listeners.

Music is deeply rooted in the history of Harbin. For centuries, ethnic groups (少数民族) such as the Hezhe and the Oroqen built up a rich collection of folk (民间的) songs and dances. In the 20th century, the development of the Chinese Eastern Railway brought Western music to Harbin. Many European musicians moved to Harbin, making it one of the first cities in China to embrace (拥抱) Western classical music. Many of China’s leading classical musicians were trained in Harbin.

Harbin holds one of China’s oldest concert festivals-Harbin Summer Music Concert. It dates back to 1961. With concerts, competitions and cultural activities, it brings in many famous musicians, bands and artists from all over the world.

In March 2016, the Harbin Grand Theater opened to the public. It put on nearly 200 performances in a single year. That same year, the Harbin Conservatory of Music was set up along the Songhua River. It has organized a lot of free concerts for the public (公众). Harbin is the only city in Asia to be named “Music City” by the United Nations. Let’s hope it will keep shining on the world music stage!

Li Feng became interested in playing the piano after watching his mother played it. He began to play the piano three years ago. “I love the piano, so I always play it at home. When I found he was also interested in it, I began to teach him.” said his mother. Soon Li Feng was good at playing it. His mother was too busy to teach him, so his father took him to a piano club last year. He goes there twice a week.

Li Feng takes the study seriously in the club, so he improves a lot. He played for the school’s concert last month. Li Feng was the youngest piano player and it was the first time for him to play in front of so many people. He played very well and got a prize.

Many people saw his performance, and Li Feng is famous in his school now. He is going to keep playing the piano and be a pianist, then play for the children in poor areas.

“I was having a math class when suddenly, a piece of music came into my mind. I quickly wrote it down and finished the song in 30 minutes as soon as I got home.”

Zhang Yuxuan, a 15-year-old vlogger on Bilibili, shared how she wrote the song SHE in her latest video. The song is at the top of the charts on Bilibili with over 10 million views. Zhang now has 1.28 million fans.   

Zhang told Xinhua News that the song was inspired by US actress Anne Hathaway’s role in the movie The Devil Wears Prada (时尚女魔头). “I wanted to send a message about girls’ power that girls can be strong and independent, but also cute,” she said.

Online supporters were quick to comment (评论). One fan said. “What huge gap (差距) there is between her and me! Thirty minutes is the time I spend finishing a meal.”

As a ninth-grader at Shenzhen Arts School, Zhang is studying violin. In 2019, she uploaded her first video on Bilibili. She quickly won many fans. In her videos, everything from bottles to pieces of candy can become musical instruments. A video titled “How to make music at school without instruments” has been watched over 1.9 million times. In the video, she makes musical loops (循环伴奏) with a pencil bag and desk.

“I often come up with funny ideas and then put them into my songs,” Zhang said. “It’s a great outlet (途径) for me to express myself, and in this way I won’t be too sad about negative things in life.”

Zhang told Xinhua that she wants to study at a top music school, such as the Berklee College of Music in the US, and become singer-songwriter in the future. “Everything in life can be written into songs. I will keep on singing,” she said.