CHENGDU, May 22, 2023 – On the occasion of the opening of the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games World Press Briefing on 15 May, a short video titled “Listen to the Hustle and Bustle of Chengdu” has been released worldwide. This video is intended to pay tribute to all the reporters who are participating in the coverage of the Games.
The stone carvings of the Twenty-four Musicians and Dancers at the Yongling Museum in Chengdu, will “come to life” and play music that resonates with modern Chengdu. This royal orchestra, which originated over a thousand years ago during a flourishing era, will perform once again for the grand event, the Chengdu 2021 FISU World University Games.
1- The ancient orchestra and the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games
The Twenty-four Musicians and Dancers are the epitome of the royal orchestra from the end of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the Five Dynasties period (907-979). The stone carvings comprise twenty-two musicians and two dancers who play twenty-three pieces of instruments, including wind, string and percussion instruments.
The Twenty-four Musicians and Dancers, a royal orchestra from over 1,000 years ago, performed specifically for big occasions. A thousand years later, the orchestra is being summoned by a grand event. Sounds are being collected with a conch shell creating harmonies for the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games.
2 – A conch shell collects the sounds of Chengdu
One musician travels through time to the modern city of Chengdu, experiencing a mixture of familiarity and exoticness. She collects all kinds of sounds of the city by holding a conch shell in her hand. The conch shell, as told by legend, can preserve and transmit sound and its sound remains the same after thousands of years.
The musician strolls around Kuanzhai Alley, through varying architectures from the Qing Dynasty to traditional western Sichuan style, collecting the sounds of leisure, comfort and ease. On Yulin Street, the musician experiences the vitality of art and life that can only be found in Chengdu. In Guixi Ecological Park, the musician enjoys a time of tranquillity in a bustling city. At the Chengdu Panda Base, the musician meets the giant panda Zhima, the real-life inspiration for the Games’ mascot “Rongbao”.
As night falls, the musician enjoys a dazzling light show projected from the Financial City Tianfu Twin Towers. In the city of Chengdu, modern culture and traditional culture depend on each other, complement each other and develop together.
3- New music played by old instruments
As the call of the Games becomes more intense, the musician realises that the ornament on her forehead has been transformed into the symbolic image of the Games. The call is now guiding her to the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games High-tech Zone Sports Centre Gymnasium.
The musician sees her companions dressed up in Tang style sitting in silence inside the gymnasium, as if they are waiting for something. She holds the conch shell up in the air, letting out all the sounds she’s collected. Her companions are awakened by the sounds and the Twenty-four Musicians and Dancers start to perform.
The ancient instruments are played with a new vitality after incorporating sounds of the modern city, including sounds of the hustle and bustle as well as the rhythms of sports. When music meets sports, an extraordinary fusion is created. Chengdu, a city with vibrant music, is going to hold a grand sports event this summer. Let the world hear the hustle and bustle of Chengdu!
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