Forest Concert: 2018 Saihanba Forest Concert series to kick off this weekend

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02:05

A series of forest concerts will be staged over the coming weekend at the Saihanba National Forest Park, in northern China's Hebei province. The performances aim to intertwine the beauty of music with the wonders of nature.

Nearly a hundred artists from China's capital and elsewhere in the country's north are representing the National Ballet of China Symphony Orchestra in the three-day musical event. The musicians will perform under the banner of "Eco China, Green Earth".

BAI ZHILI EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR "The stage setup is based on simple ecological principles. We're trying not to rely on large-scale lighting systems or electronic facilities. Harmony between art and nature is what we hope to emphasize."

Three concerts, featuring folk music, children's choruses and classics, will be staged from July 20th to 22nd.

GONG HUI CHIEF DIRECTOR "The symphony concert is divided into four parts, each bearing the theme of one of the four seasons of the year. Before each act in the symphony, a video will be broadcasted telling true stories about the lives of forests rangers. We've carefully selected 16 pieces of folk music to match these videos."

Saihanba was once an imperial retreat, however, the region had become a desert by the end of the Qing dynasty due to forest fires, deforestation and frequent wars.

After more than five decades of efforts by three generations of experts and foresters, the area has become the largest man-made forest park in the world, stretching across 185,000 acres of forests.

Now, having been dubbed with honorifics like the World of Flowers, or the Hometown of Clouds, the place remains a hot destination for tourism.

SW CGTN.