This Day, That Year: Sept 18

Editor's note: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China.

In September, 1994, the first China International Piano Competition was held at the Beijing Concert Hall.

An item from Sept 20, 1994, in China Daily showed Zheng Xiaofeng, 22, performing a piece by Chopin at the nine-day event. It attracted 37 pianists from more than 10 countries and regions.

Chen Sa won first prize at the competition, marking the beginning of her career. She won fourth prize in the Leeds International Piano Competition in 1996 when she was the youngest contestant in the competition and fourth place in the 2000 International Frederick Chopin Piano Competition in Poland.

Thanks to rapid economic growth in recent decades, the joys of the piano are within the financial grasp of an increasing number of families.

China has been experiencing a piano frenzy, with millions of children and youngsters now learning to play.

Every year, hundreds of piano competitions, organized by professional institutions, governments and companies, are held across the country.

The country is one of the world's major piano producers and buyers, about 360,000 pianos are made in China every year. That accounts for more than 70 percent of global output. Imports of higher-quality pianos-mainly from Europe, the United States and Japan-have also increased.

Today, Chinese pianists are stepping up to take the helm.

Li Yundi and Lang Lang have gained international recognition. In 2000, Li won first prize and a special prize at the Fryderyk Chopin Society in Warsaw.

He was the youngest winner of the competition and the first Chinese pianist to win the title.

Li was chosen as a jury member for the 2015 International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition and became the youngest judge in the contest's 88-year history.

Lang, who is a role model for millions of young Chinese learning classical music, launched his music school, Lang Lang Music World, in Shenyang, Liaoning province, in 2011.In 2008, he founded the Lang Lang International Music Foundation to educate, inspire and motivate music lovers and performers.