History was made in Scotland this week as the 'Elegance and Charm of Shanghai' concert kicked off the 2025 China-Britain Culture and Art Festival with a sold-out show! 🎉 Held at the iconic Edinburgh International Conference Centre during the legendary Festival Fringe, this fusion of East-meets-West had audiences spellbound.
For the first time ever, the erhu—a two-stringed instrument often called the 'Chinese violin'—took center stage with a full ensemble of virtuoso musicians. 🎻 Professor Wang Yongde of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music told the crowd: 'Our music speaks a universal language. To feel it is to understand the soul of China.'
The night began with a fiery Highland dance by the Brenda Ronnie School of Dance, then shifted to haunting erhu melodies that spanned three generations of performers. Many young attendees experienced traditional Chinese instruments live for the first time! 👧🎼
Former Edinburgh Lord Provost Donald Wilson joined nearly 1,000 guests at this boundary-breaking event, proving that from Shanghai’s alleyways to Scotland’s glens, music builds bridges faster than TikTok trends. 🏯➡️🏰
