The morning sun shines and the kapok is gorgeous. On January 1, 2024, the first day of the New Year, Guangzhou Baiyun Station, which looks like a blooming kapok, was crowded with people, welcoming people and sending people off, fully demonstrating the vitality of Guangzhou as the national central city and comprehensive gateway city. This is the seventh day that Baiyun Station was officially put into operation. At about 10 o'clock in the morning, the song "I Love You China" played in the pit area of Baiyun Station, attracting people from all over the world to stop. The moving melody and beautiful singing voices have attracted more and more people to join in and sing their love for the motherland together.
"The lark flies across the blue sky, I love you China..." A loud soprano suddenly sounded in the busy Baiyun Station inbound area. Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra soprano Cui Zhengrong, young tenor Zhang Xueliang, young singer Feng Shanshan, and Xinghai Conservatory of Music student Huang Jianming walked out of the crowd and started singing "I Love You China". Later, Guangdong Gaohu and other Chinese folk music performances joined in, energetic young people came on stage to dance and sing English songs, and cute children handed out national flags to the audience. Inspired by the performers, the audience joined in the chorus one after another to express their deep love for the motherland.
Feng Shanshan is the artistic director of this performance. She introduced that "I Love You China" is often sung with bel canto, but this time it uses pop singing and incorporates folk music, symphony, hip-hop, and British singing and dancing, reflecting the characteristics of fusion. "Guangzhou is an international metropolis, and we are performing at Baiyun Station, a new modern landmark, so we made such a new design."
Chief director of this "pop-up" event, member of the Standing Committee of the Guangdong Youth Federation, culture and arts Wang Lun, secretary-general of the sector, said that this time the arrangement also incorporated "Welcome Song" and "Backgammon". Guangzhou is an open, tolerant and hospitable city. Such a design can not only reflect the characteristics of Guangzhou, but also express the New Year's Day. A day of blessings to visitors from all over.
As one of the lead singers, Cui Zhengrong said that it was the first time he sang "I Love You China" at Baiyun Station, and he felt the shock that the combination of singing and architecture brought to the audience. "Baiyun Station is beautiful and magnificent. Sing "I Love You China" here and sing the momentum of this song!"
Tan Zhishan, a dancer from Guangzhou Song and Dance Theater, participated in the dance part of the "flash mob". He said that he felt very proud and excited when he saw many audience members spontaneously participating in the dance and singing "I Love You China" in unison.
"Guangzhou Baiyun Station is one of the largest comprehensive railway hubs in Asia. I think this high-speed rail station represents a point in Guangzhou, Guangdong. Starting from it, it connects people across the country into lines and surfaces. At the same time, after today's chorus, let me I felt the cohesion and unity of the Chinese people!"
Hu Ganqi from Hong Kong watched the entire event. He said that he saw the strength of the country in the performance and felt a sense of honor and belonging. I hope that everyone can unite as one and create better results in 2024.
Qin Anni from Macau said that the audience around her was very enthusiastic and she could feel the joy of everyone's longing for the future on the first day of the new year. I hope that in 2024, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area can work together to create a better future and build a better home together.
Text|Reporter Li Huankun
Picture|Reporter Zhong Zhenbin Pan Junhua