The unmistakable sound of Scottish bagpipes are guaranteed to spark an emotional response: you either love it or you can't stand it.

The Queen is so keen a listener that she has a piper play an alarm call beneath her bedroom window at Buckingham Palace each morning.

And now this traditional highland wind instrument can count Yu Hai, director of the Military Band of the People's Liberation Army of China, among its fans.

Yu first developed a soft spot for the instrument after being the only person to correctly answer a question about it on a CCTV quiz show.

From this year onwards, though, bagpipes will conjure up images of August 2004, when his musicians took part in the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the world famous gathering of military musicians in the Scottish capital.

Seventy-five soldiers playing trumpets, horns, tubas, drums and trombones, accompanied by 16 dancers from Henan Province's No Two Artillery Division, took part, impressing the crowds with their music, marching and striking red-and-white uniforms.

"I will always remember the bagpipes," Yu said of his Tattoo experience. "Whenever we go outside, we hear people playing them and so the sound is always in my head. And when the pipers play in front of Edinburgh Castle, the atmosphere created is just wonderful."

The Tattoo is indeed atmospheric. Just to reach the venue, audience members must wind their way along the Royal Mile, a cobbled street lined with imposing buildings that appear to have been constructed with forever in mind. Although blemished by years of fast changing weather, these stones will not be moved.

The road climbs higher and higher until it reaches Edinburgh Castle which, in one form or another, has looked down on the city from the top of a long extinct volcano for more than 900 years. Just below the east wall is a parade ground, lined on three sides by grandstands. The area is closed off by the castle wall itself, creating a stunning backdrop.

It is here that a 1,000-strong cast of immaculately dressed musicians, gymnasts, singers and dancers come together to perform for 22 evenings of the year. The Tattoo was first staged in 1950 as the British Army's contribution to the Edinburgh International Festival, one of the largest events of its kind in the world.

While the kilt-wearing Scotsmen with their bagpipes are still the lifeblood of the show, a rich blend of international music has been woven into the schedule over the years.

Performers from 30 countries have taken part, bringing with them everything from Zulu warriors to elephants in order to add a taste of their national cultures to the show. The South African Navy Band will be representing the country in the event for the ninth time.

With this variety comes massive popularity. The 217,000 tickets available for the Tattoo each year can sell out months in advance, and as much as 35 per cent of the audience is from overseas. They are joined by about 100 million people across the world who enjoy the event on television.

The significance of an invitation to take part in the Tattoo was not lost on Yu.

A former student of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, he has been involved in the Military Band for 35 years, as a clarinetist, conductor and, for the last two years, director. The pursuit of excellence in military music has figured large in his life and he knew the Tattoo was a great place to do it.

"This event is very famous and I have known about it for quite some time," he said. "We have prepared something just for the Tattoo and are very proud to be representing China here. What is more, we are the last foreign performance of the evening, which makes it extra special."

The band, comprising 400 members, most of whom are in their mid to late 20s, has established itself on both a domestic and international level since it was founded in 1952.

It has performed more than 4,000 concerts throughout China and toured in many countries, including Germany, France, Belgium, Russia and Japan. The Tattoo organizers were keen to welcome the musicians to Scottish shores.

"Of course, China has become important in the world in terms of business and cultural influence," explained Brigadier Melville Jameson, a retired cavalry officer who is now in his 10th year as Tattoo chief executive and producer.

"But I was also very conscious of the enormous musical talent and expertise across several genres -- classical, military, folk -- to be found there. It was definitely time to extend an invitation and the British ambassador in Beijing was keen to do this for me. We wanted them to join us on this international stage."

He is not disappointed with the final product.

"What the musicians have done has provided a first class act, which has not only gone down well with audiences, but also seen them receive large accolades for their professionalism."

The capacity crowd was particularly impressed by the exhibition of traditional Chinese drumming, for which the arena was bathed in a pool of red light that grew ever brighter as the tempo increased.

Meanwhile the dancers, with their faultless flag marching and high kick routines, were one of the highlights of the entire show. Judging from the grins that appeared on the faces of British soldiers gathered in the corner of the stadium, they would have welcomed the chance to develop Anglo-Chinese ties with these girls over some after-show drinks.

Both Yu and Brigadier Jameson see the Tattoo as a means to bridge the cultural gap between China and Britain, something that is represented in the event finale. The traditional pipers and drummers join with the military bands from Britain and abroad to produce what Brigadier Jameson calls "that special Tattoo sound."

Now they have become part of the Tattoo's multicultural jigsaw puzzle, Yu hopes it will not be too long before musicians from the Military Band make a return visit.

"We have been impressed by how well organized this event is," said Yu. "Through the performances we have come to understand lots about Scottish music, while we have been able to use our music to show off Chinese culture to the world."

But to the musicians who traveled 6,000 miles around the globe to take part, it has simply been an experience to treasure.

"Edinburgh is a beautiful city, the architecture is so old and pure," said Hu Difan, a 38-year-old trumpet player from Central China's Hunan Province, who has been with the band since 1981. "And then the people have been very welcoming, the audiences warm with their applause."

(China Daily August 23, 2004)