Exclusive release: Awards ceremony anthem 'Light of Chengdu' shines at World Games

A new anthem is setting the tone for the awards ceremonies at the 2025 World Games in Chengdu. Composer Luo Wei told CGTN that blending Sichuan folk motifs with global rhythms reflects the host city's cosmopolitan vision. CGTN is releasing the full-length version online for the first time.

The four-minute fanfare, "Light of Chengdu" (《光·蓉》), weaves the familiar local melody "The Sun Comes Out Delightfully Bright" into a lush orchestral score supported by a children's choir. Traditional instruments such as the pipa, bamboo flute, guzheng and konghou carry the folk tune before brass and strings build to a sweeping finale that fuses regional color with Western symphonic style. The piece will accompany every medal presentation during the 11-day event.

Luo Wei is also known for "Ode to Peace," performed by the UN Symphony Orchestra, which he says embodies "friendship and peace to the world through artistic exchanges that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries."