Beijing concert series blends tradition and modernity

The Qingcheng Palace in central Beijing became the stage for a special musical celebration from May 1 to 3, during the May Day holiday - a public benefit concert series titled "Youth on the Central Axis: A Musical Journey at Qingcheng Palace". Over three days, the 560-year-old palace echoed with a fusion of Eastern and Western music, offering audiences a vibrant cross-cultural experience.

A total of nine concerts were staged, with three performances per day, featuring a diverse program of chamber music. Highlights included the ensemble piece Jade Goddess of Mercy, performed with both Chinese and Western instruments, and string quartet Polonaise de Concert.

The music event also presented the premiere of Taklimakan, a string quartet supported by the Beijing Culture and Arts Fund. Combing the sounds of the cello, the horsehead fiddle and the Uygur ghijak (a round-bodied spike fiddle), the piece portrays the transformation of the once-desolate Taklimakan Desert in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in recent decades.

Qingcheng Palace, part of the Xiannong Altar, is among the many cultural landmarks along the Beijing Central Axis. Built in 1458, this majestic structure, adorned with exquisite ornaments, exemplifies typical Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) imperial architecture.