Burg Chinese Chorus celebrates 10th anniversary with concert in Germany

ESSEN, Germany, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A concert celebrating the 10th-anniversary of the German Burg Chinese Chorus took place on Saturday in the western German city of Essen, presenting an audio-visual extravaganza that blended Chinese and German cultures.

During the concert, the chorus performed a repertoire of 12 songs, ranging from Chinese classics such as "My Classmate" to popular tunes such as "Chengdu." The beautiful singing earned resounding applause from the audience.

Huang Wei, an official with the Chinese Embassy in Germany, lauded the choir in his address, declaring it "a splendid emblem of China-German friendship."

"Over the past decade, the choir has achieved a remarkable success, gracing numerous significant diplomatic events between China and Germany, and making valuable contributions to the cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries," he said.

"Music is the universal language that brings joy and fosters harmony among people," said Olaf Millmann, chairman of the Burg Chinese Chorus association. "Over the past decade, the Burg Chinese Chorus has exemplified this notion repeatedly, and one might even say it lives by this principle."

The Burg Chinese Chorus is a non-profit organization, offering the "Learn Chinese by Singing" program for German youths. To foster people-to-people exchanges between China and Germany, the choir has been actively engaging in strengthening the friendship between the two countries through language and cultural initiatives.

Anna Blumek, a 23-year-old student who participated in the performance, said that she began learning Chinese in 2016 and has been a chorus member for eight years. "I've made many new friends here, and singing together can always make me happy," she said. "My Chinese has also improved significantly."

Blumek said she has visited China four times. "In the future, I will further my Chinese studies and explore more places in China."

Speaking about Saturday's performance, Zhang Yungang, leader of the chorus, said that the concert was "not only a reflection on the past decade but also harbors hopes for the future, symbolizing a fresh beginning."