A concert celebrating the Spring Festival and the rich heritage of Chinese instrumental music was held in Hong Kong on Friday evening.

Held at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre, the 2026 New Year Guzheng Concert featured four distinct sections, aiming to promote and preserve the art of the guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument recognized as the ancestor of various Asian zithers.

Part one of the concert centered on the theme of Chinese New Year celebrations, adapting the traditional Spring Festival Overture through a bold fusion of the guzheng and contemporary electronic music, evoking an elegant and festive atmosphere.

The second part highlighted the imagery of “clouds” and “wind”, capturing spirited and dynamic energy.

The third part interpreted the chivalrous martial world and heroic spirit through classical melodies, featuring Hong Kong martial arts drama anthems, which evoked collective nostalgia among the audience.

The final segment conveyed patriotic sentiments through classical Chinese music, culminating in a grand ensemble performance of Pearl of the Orient and My People, My Country, expressing heartfelt blessings for both the motherland and Hong Kong.

Organized by the Hong Kong Guzheng Society, the concert featured guzheng player Xu Lingzi, who has been a professor at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts for more than 30 years, as the lead performer. The event also showcased numerous excellent musicians and artists.

The concert innovatively blended music with calligraphy art, showcasing a live calligraphy rendition of "Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye" (The Moon over the River on a Spring Night) by Liang Jundu, director of the Hong Kong Oriental Academy of Calligraphy and Painting and a renowned calligrapher. The calligraphy work coincided beautifully with the guzheng piece of the same name, creating a unique artistic experience in which "sound and calligraphy merge as one".

“This is the convergence of spatial art and temporal art, and it's my first time performing calligraphy on stage,” Liang said, expressing his commitment to further exploring the integration of different traditional Chinese arts in the future.

Xu, who collaborated with Liang during the performance, said that both music and calligraphy are fluid arts that complement each other perfectly.

“The concert provides an excellent opportunity to introduce the guzheng to the Hong Kong audience. Furthermore, as an international city, Hong Kong can leverage this platform to promote traditional Chinese culture to global audiences.”

Xu noted significant progress in the guzheng proficiency in Hong Kong and reaffirmed her commitment to teaching the instrument, striving to advance the guzheng culture.

Secretary-General of Hong Kong Guzheng Society Ma Hang said the event was the society's third concert, serving as a valuable platform to promote Chinese traditional instrumental music.

The performance also brought together numerous young local guzheng players, offering them an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from, and gain experience with teachers from Beijing and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, added Ma.