A week-long gala in Los Angeles will present musical performances, photo and book exhibitions, a poetry recital and an intangible cultural heritage demonstration to American audience.

Crossing the Pacific Ocean: The 2014 China Jilin Culture Week, jointly held by the Jilin provincial government and Los Angeles County, California, was opened on Sunday.

It included Monday's symphony concert in the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse in San Gabriel, California, entitled Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

It was inspired by art work attributed to Chinese artist Zhang Zeduan, a painter of the North Song Dynasty. Often called China's Mona Lisa for its importance in Chinese art history, the painting captures the daily life of people and the landscape of the capital city of Bianjing, today's Kaifeng in China's Henan province, from the Northern Song period in the 11th-12th centuries.

The audience described the symphony concert as beautiful. A 60-year-old Chinese male audience member said he drove an hour to come to the concert.

"I was born in northeastern area in China and have been living in US for more than 40 years. I love to be connected with my home culture," he told China Daily.

A 50-year-old American female audience member, who for the first time listened to guzheng, a Chinese string instrument performed in the concert, said she has become a Chinese culture admirer recently.

"I watched Chinese acrobats for the first time in Pasadena last time. Today's concert was another new experience for me. The sound of guzheng is so beautiful. I am definitely fascinated by this Chinese traditional music."

Che Zhaohe, culture consul at the Consulate General of China office in Los Angeles, recognized this program as an important event to promote cultural exchanges between the US and China.

Craig Young, mayor of Yorba Linda, Polly Low, mayor of Rosemead, Stephen K. Sham, mayor of Alhambra, and Mary Su, council woman from Walnut, expressed their appreciation for the Chinese artists' performance.

China's Jilin province is situated in the northeastern part of China, Covering an area of over 180,000 square kilometers, it has a population of 27.5 million (2007).

cindyliu@chinadaily.usa

(China Daily USA 09/10/2014 page2)