Jazz it up in Zhuhai

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A vendor stacks rainbow pyramids of tropical fruit on his cart, while nearby, a repairman jiggles the rusted chain of a pushbike.

It’s an unremarkable scene in southern China – except that they are both humming to a saxophonist’s blaring rendition of a foreign tune made familiar at the live music venue perched on the corner.

Locals in Beishan Village. /CGTN Photo‍

Beishan Village in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, has staged an International Jazz Festival every year since 2010. Initially an ambitious project launched by two brothers, it is now an essential date on Zhuhai’s calendar.

A contemporary music institute in Beishan Village. /CGTN Photo

Last October, in its eighth installment, the festival brought together nearly 30 musicians from across the globe, including celebrated Canadian pianist and billboard performer, David Braid.

A typical street in Beishan Village. /CGTN Photo

But it hasn’t always been about jazz here – far from it. Some 50 or so years ago, Zhuhai was merely a cluster of fishing villages; around 30 years ago, it was upgraded to city status, and designated China’s second Special Economic Zone.

Modern residential buildings behind Beishan Village. /CGTN Photo

Today, Zhuhai is one of the fastest growing metropolises in the region, and one of China’s most liveable places. But fortunately, efforts have been made to protect history and promote culture amid breakneck urbanization.

Unlike many older areas in Zhuhai, Beishan Village was not torn down and rebuilt as high-rise complexes for a burgeoning population – its ancient courtyards and meandering alleyways have been transformed into an art space lined with galleries and cafés. It’s eccentric, eclectic – a great site for a music festival.

Shops in Beishan Village. /CGTN Photo

Yet, for the locals, life goes on. Butchers hack at carcasses and barbers hack at hair. Vendors vend fruit and repairmen repair bikes. But all to the magical melodies of jazz.

Explore the rest of Zhuhai with Travelogue host Min-Zhui Lee in the first episode of our epic 10-part series “The Pearl River: Mouth to Source”. It broadcasts on CGTN on Sunday, March 4, at 7:30 a.m. (Beijing Time). Rebroadcast times: Sundays 4:30 p.m., Mondays 2 a.m. and Thursdays 1:30 p.m.