A city is about to tell the world about Chinese culture through Music

This autumn, music lovers in Paris will have the chance to experience the exotic combination of Chinese culture and Western symphonic music.

  Zhou Long, chief violinist of Shenzhen Sympany Orchestra, says its music will help audiences better understand Chinese culture. Lin Jing / China Daily

On September 21, the International Day of Peace, Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra performed Ode to Virtue at UNESCO's invitation.

Ode to Virtue is a symphony in five movements focusing on the core Confucian values of ren, yi, li, zhi and xin - benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and faithfulness. The ode uses orchestral music to express the shifts in Confucian thought over the past centuries.

"Confucianism is an important part of Chinese traditional culture, while ren, yi, li, zhi and xin are the core values of humanism, including a profound humanistic care and respect for life," says Wang Jingsheng, head of the CPC Shenzhen Municipal Committee's publicity department.

Wang proposed the idea of having a symphony composed in 2006 to better introduce Confucian philosophy and Chinese civilization to the world. It took six years to complete the music and write the material.

China is trying to revive its culture and to realize the Chinese dream, Wang says. One important element of national rejuvenation is to win world recognition and respect for China's core values.

"That is our expectation for Ode to Virtue. We want to promote the essence of Chinese traditional thinking through symphonic communication between Eastern and Western civilizations."