Folk music frenzy: Yulin East Road comes alive

The Yulin Folk Music Season 2024, which kicked off in April in Wuhou district of Chengdu, the capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, is expected to draw more than one million visitors to Yulin East Road, the organizers said.

The annual music event, launched in 2023, aims to create a folk music ecosystem in the Yulin East Road community and its neighboring areas.

This year's event invites music enthusiasts to discover the charm of folk music by writing, singing and listening to folk songs, said Luo Bengwen, chief director of the event, at a press conference on Wednesday night.

Luo said more than 20,000 people have registered online to sing folk songs, and over 100 musicians have submitted folk songs. The organizers will select the outstanding songs and release them in an album on more than 130 global music or streaming platforms.

"The outstanding musicians will also have the opportunity to perform in cities such as Chongqing, Xi'an, Shenzhen, and Lijiang, as well as with music groups from 28 international sister cities of Chengdu from 19 countries around the world," he said.

At the press conference, the organizers also announced a folk music partnership program aimed at discovering high-quality musicians, providing them with performance platforms and opportunities, and helping them profit from their music copyrights.

"Through the program, we hope to help every passionate young person realize their musical dreams and take their music from Yulin to the whole country and even the world," said Wei Xueman, one of the program's folk song promotion officers.