Great Wall Forest Music Festival finds new home
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E-mail CNTV, September 2, 2014
Autumn is probably one of the best times to step into the open air to kick back and enjoy some great music. And that's what many Beijingers have done this past weekend.
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Great Wall Forest Music Festival finds new home |
Family, friends, laughter; beautiful grass, fresh air and live music echoing off the forest and the Great Wall that surround this place. A weekend in this music paradise just seems too short. Well, a brand new state of the art, world class outdoor theater has just been revealed at this year's festival, which will surely make the festival an enhanced and more permanent experience.
A full house before the new outdoor amphitheater. Even the thunderstorm couldn't disperse the crowd completely absorbed in the music. Thanks to the new theater, this year's Great Wall Forest Festival offers even more superb acoustics and an overall outdoor theatrical experience, even though the project is still half complete.
Zhang Yonghe is the mastermind behind this new architecture. He has served as the chairman of the architecture department at M.I.T and now runs his own creative studio in China, in addition to teaching classes. Mr. Zhang is a fan of classical music and tries to apply his knowledge about music to theater designs.
"Somehow what I think I could bring to music is something that I understand about music. It's something that's alive. So, I don't believe today music is frozen architect. I don't think it works the other way around. I think it's something dynamic." said Zhang Yonghe, Architect.
The Great Wall Forest Festival is now in its fourth year. Since it's debut in 2010, the festival has seen a steady increase in festival-goers and has expanded its duration from two days to four days, split over two weekends. It has also been experimenting with a variety of genres, from classical to pop, with this year's theme being dubbed "Celebrating 20 Years of Chinese Folk Song." Folk Song legend Lao Lang who came to prominence in the early 1990s explains how folk songs have helped galvanize more amateur folks to express themselves through music.
"Before music reserved for the professionals. But folk song made young people realize that they can express themselves through music as well. And that's what characterizes folk song, it's popular music and it always has a story." said Lao Lang, Singer.
Unlike some of the other outdoor festivals, the Great Wall Forest Festival caters to a wide range of audiences. A rare place where rawdy teens, parents and families can all enjoy the outdoors and have a great time.
"There's a great crowd here, that's why I love it!"
"This is great! it reminds me of woodstock! It's very beautiful grass and a good feeling. I love the scenery."
Great music and scenery aside, many children's workshops, master music classes, and interactive art activities have also been introduced this year. If music is the reason to come to the festivals, you'll find even more reasons not to leave.
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