Reviving Ancient Architecture: Infusing heritage sites with music

Welcome to our news series "Reviving Ancient Architecture," a journey through innovative strategies and interesting insights into safeguarding and revitalizing China's historic treasures, with each installment exploring a different approach. Join us as we uncover the diverse facets of cultural preservation and celebrate the enduring legacy of China's architectural heritage.

Working as a mutual fund investment manager, Wang Shen frequently passes through Beijing's bustling Financial Street. Each time she is there, she catches a glimpse of the White Stupa from outside the Miaoying Temple. Despite its proximity, her hurried steps had never taken her inside. What finally drew her in was a concert held at the temple, titled "Ancient Answers."

In Wang's recollection of that day, the Miaoying Temple gleamed with a dignified and mysterious aura under the golden leaves. Its red walls and yellow tiles sparkled in the sunlight, while the surrounding pines and cypress trees deepened to a rich green in the autumn breeze. The songs "White Pagoda" and "Golden Autumn" blended seamlessly with the temple.

The ethnic Mongolian rock band, Hang Gai, was performing in front of the Yuan Dynasty building, which dates back 750 years. Wang told CGTN that the allure of the historic temple intensified the music-induced journey back in time to the heyday of that dynasty.

"As their voices soared, I looked up to the sky, where ravens flew by," Wang said. "I was moved to tears, as I felt that deep sense of spirituality – humanity's reverence for nature and the peace it brings."

'Timeless acoustics within the ancient walls'

The event that took Wang on this emotional journey was one of many events under the 2023 project "Timeless Acoustics within the Ancient Walls," which features a series of artistic performances, mainly music, set within or in proximity to ancient architectural marvels in Beijing, such as the Confucius Temple, the Guozijian (imperial college) Museum, the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, and the Beijing Ancient Observatory.

Backed by the Beijing Municipal Cultural Heritage Bureau and the local government of the city's Dongcheng District, the project debuted in the autumn of 2021 with the aim of inspiring curiosity about the stories of historic sites and encouraging more people to engage in the appreciation, protection and preservation of buildings from bygone eras and intangible cultural heritage items.

While primarily featuring music concerts, the project also incorporates elements of poetry readings, dance, theater, performance art and forums, enhancing the cultural experience for attendees. Participants run the gamut of backgrounds, from musicians and artists to scholars and architects.

Fusing music with architecture

Liang Sicheng, a renowned Chinese architect and architectural historian often referred to as the "father of modern Chinese architecture," once said, "Music is flowing architecture; architecture is frozen music." And his insight perfectly encapsulates the connection between music and architecture – a relationship humanity has long embraced.

Yao Ying, the founder of "Timeless Acoustics within the Ancient Walls," subscribes to this notion. She believes that ancient Chinese architecture, with its hidden stories and profound mysteries, could serve as the perfect canvas for music events.

This blend of bricks and beats isn't something new. One example is the Arena di Verona Opera Festival in Italy, where operatic voices fill the ancient Roman Amphitheater, creating a portal between past and present. In France, there's the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence where cathedrals and palaces become the stage for diverse performances.

"Space is a vessel," Yao told CGTN. "It is a silent storyteller brimming with history, echoing with the voices of those who once walked its halls, and teeming with tales yearning to be told to the world."

"Through the magic of music and the touch of artistic intervention, we breathe life into these timeless narratives, unveiling the secrets and emotions etched into the very walls," she added, her passion to celebrate architecture with art clearly visible.

Staging concerts in historic sites requires logistical planning and preservation considerations. Yet, the ultimate challenge lies in orchestrating performances that are seamlessly compatible with the aesthetics of the heritage sites hosting the events.

To truly bring the stories of ancient architecture to life, the project adopts a "one location, one plan" approach. The events are typically an intimate affair, with only a few dozen people in attendance. The concerts prioritize the auditory experience over a lavish scale or seating comfort, with planning focusing on the acoustics and the historical and cultural significance of each site, which ultimately guides the nature of each performance.

These painstaking efforts yield remarkable results. Many attendees have written to the organizing committee commanding them on the performances and the perfect symphony between the sites and shows. This fusion evokes a deeply moving sense of time and space, creating synaesthesia that lingers in memory long after the curtains had fallen.

Wu Jiang attended an open-air concert at Pudu Temple in late autumn last year, where blind folk musician and composer Zhou Yunpeng took center stage.

Wu says she felt privileged to attend the concert in Nangong, a place which kings once called home and a witness to dramatic historical events. She remembers the stiffness of her hands from the cold, the melancholy in Zhou's voice, and how the poetry of his songs seemed to be carried to the sky by the biting northern wind.

"From the threads a mother's hand weaves, a gown for the parting son is made" – This was a line from one of Zhou's songs, which is a famous couplet from a thousand-year-old Tang Dynasty poem "Song of the Parting Son."

"Unforgettable and truly unique. I believe I will remember that day for years to come — piercing was the wind, yet warm was my heart," she wrote in her letter to the project's organizing committee.

Beyond performances

Lyu Zhou, the director of the National Heritage Center at Tsinghua University and vice president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (China), is a familiar face at such events. He is a recurrent presence not just as a guest giving talks, but also as an attendee enjoying the concerts.

"There should be no barriers between people and ancient architecture today, because it constitutes our living environment. Likewise, there should be no barriers between people and traditional music as it embodies the melody within our cultural DNA," he said.

Indeed, many concert fans have expressed to the organizing committee that, although initially not fervent enthusiasts of ancient architecture, they found themselves unexpectedly immersed in its world. Their extraordinary experiences sparked a newfound desire to learn more about ancient architecture and Beijing's historic buildings.

Artists are also deeply affected by these experiences. Song Song, also known as Si Yang, a singer-songwriter, poet and photographer, told CGTN that while he had previously performed in concert halls and natural settings before, Jietai Temple marked his first performance in a historic building.

"The relationship between music and the environment that hosts it is clearly interactive," Song said. "The historical richness inherent in ancient architecture subtly fuels my musical reinterpretations. It allows me to enter in a dialogue with history, to feel immersed in its narrative."

"This musical experience provides me with a clearer understanding of what my inner self longs to hear," Song said.

As a novel attempt in heritage revitalization, the music project has spread out to Quanzhou in southeast China's Fujian Province with events being planned in the southwestern province of Yunnan later this year.

The project's organizing committee is interested in exploring the ancient sites in these locations and coupling them with the right musical acts to perpetuate the splendor of China's cultural heritage.