Chinese music takes center stage at new Shanghai Concert Hall exhibition

Visitors will first step into the courtyard of a hermit with noble intentions. In a pavilion surrounded by interactive electronic screens, four guqin - a seven-string Chinese zither - are placed in the center. The screen in front of these instruments will show videos of the river, forest and clouds in the mountain whenever visitors touch the string.

The second chapter features two sides to a kungfu master amid bamboo groves. His serene and artistic side is accompanied by sounds of the flute, while his ferocious nature is accompanied by music played on the pipa, a plucked string instrument.

The third chapter involves a room full of drums, percussion instruments that used to be played on the battlefield to evoke the courage and fury of soldiers. Here, visitors can strike the digital drums to create their own beats.

The fourth chapter features an animated girl that represents the colorful folk elements in traditional Chinese music. The figure was so popular with the first group of visitors that the Shanghai Concert Hall is now planning to launch a series of mystery boxes containing toy figurines of the girl holding different Chinese instruments.

The final chapter brings together quotes about music by ancient Chinese philosophers, as the designer hopes to inspire people to think about the rich culture behind Chinese music.

Touring the entire exhibition will take about 35 minutes, said Zhang Zhe, the creative director of tourism and culture projects at Motion Magic. 

"We have made great efforts to create an immersive audio and visual experience of Chinese music, hoping to inspire young people's interest in Chinese culture," said Zhang.

"At the same time, we had to make compromises for the protection of the historical building that houses the Shanghai Concert Hall. We initially designed a showroom filled with mist, but later gave up on the idea as we feared the effects that dry ice might have on the building."