Asia in Harmony: Meet in Beijing arts festival kicks off with Asian-themed concert

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It's the time of year when diverse cultures from around the world converge on the Chinese capital. The 19th edition of "Meet in Beijing Arts Festival" kicked off Thursday night at the National Center for the Performing Arts, highlighting Asian characteristics. Shen Li reports.

Themed Asia in Harmony, this year's festival opens with a concert performed by the China National Traditional Orchestra together with artists from Japan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan, to showcase their talents and the charm of Asian cultures.

The audience get to immerse themselves in the sweet melodic bamboo music and joyful rhythmic percussion from Thailand, and a pipa duo battle, depicting the Chu–Han Contention, one of the most famous warring stories in Chinese history.

SURASAK KINGSAI MUSICIAN FROM THAILAND "It's a great pleasure to perform at the opening concert of the Meet in Beijing Arts Festival. Together with my band, we're bringing a mash-up of four very distinctive musical styles from Thailand."

MUDILI MUSICIAN FROM KAZAKHSTAN "The five of us play different instruments and change to different ones as the song progresses. Music really is the universal language."

After 18 years' of evolution, Meet in Beijing has become a key platform for artists and art lovers from around the world to come together and share ideas.

WANG XIUQIN GENERAL MANAGER, CHINA ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT GROUP "The festival plays prominent twin roles in the art world. One, it's a landing platform for world classical art to enter China, and it's the starting platform for China's excellent stage performance art to meet the world."

SHEN LI NCPA, BEIJING "In the coming month, Nearly 800 Chinese and foreign artists from 19 countries and regions will bring 130 performances, three art exhibitions and a number of public art education activities to major theaters and art centers in the city. SL, CGTN, BJ."