Roses, butterflies and a gentleman

His parents, in a photo taken in Hong Kong in the 1940s.

His late father, Shanghai's best-known composer, Chen Gexin, manifested his feelings for Shanghai into pop songs like Rose, Rose, I Love You. These melodies became the signature tunes for the metropolis, and they are recognized even now by the generations of Shanghainese who grew up humming them.

"More than half a century has gone, and there is yet to be a song that can outshine these two as the city's classics," says local writer Chunzi.

Rose, Rose, I Love You remains the only major popular music hit in the United States written by a Chinese composer. It was sung by American singer Frankie Laine in 1951.

As the eldest son of Chen Gexin and his wife, Jin Jiaoli, the daughter of a wealthy family in Shanghai, Chen Gang says his musical education started while he was still in the womb. His mother was his father's student.

At the age of 22, while finishing his bachelor's degree at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, he was assigned to write something for the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

And so the Butterfly Lovers was born, "a piece of homework that was rushed to meet the deadline," as Chen puts it.

His output remained steady, even imprisoned during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76). In this period, he created a number of works to cheer himself and others during those dark days.