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Chengdu's got talent: musicians stage outdoor musical marathon over Labor Day weekend

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2016-05-06

The Sichuan capital of Chengdu rang to the sound of music from April 30 to May 2, as the city hosted a three-day-long outdoor concerto.

More than 1,000 avid musicians performed at the civic concert to showcase a variety of musical styles, ranging from traditional Chinese to pop and classical opera.

Over the course of the event, themed around "Chengdu Spring", the event drew in spectators in excess of 350,000 and injected 30 million yuan ($4.61 million) into the local economy, according to an official from the Chengdu culture, radio, news and publication office.

Concerts, symphonies, choruses and operas were performed over the Labor Day holiday, including a pop concert by Su Yunying and Huang Yong which attracted 200,000 visitors. A highlight of the event was the "Music Maker" concert, in which 100 music enthusiasts arranged a fair with innovative music-related products on sale.

The cappella group "The Magnets" faired particularly well with audiences, as they performed well-known vocal renditions of well-known songs. Gong Yi, a guqin master (a seven-stringed traditional Chinese instrument) delivered a lecture on traditional Chinese music before captivating audiences with a guqin performance.

The opera "Panda Hunt Treasure" debuted at the musical gala. The opera integrates cultural elements with Sichuan characteristics, such as the panda and the sunbird. It tells a story through forms of acrobatics, songs, dances, magic and Sichuan opera, with help of vivid stage sets.