2025 Kuliang Friendship China–U.S. Youth Choir Week Kicks Off in Fuzhou: Creative Schools Continuum Named Hong Kong’s Sole Representative

From 9 to 12 July, 2025, the 2025 Kuliang Friendship China–U.S. Youth Choir Week, jointly hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Fujian Provincial People’s Government, commenced with an opening ceremony in Fuzhou, Fujian Province.

Themed “Singing for Peace,” the event has attracted nearly 30 professional choirs and over 1,000 young people from both China and the United States—among them 10 American ensembles and more than 500 participants representing seven states, including Utah, Washington, and California. These Chorus Week activities, which were held in Fuzhou and Beijing, include exchange performances, masterclasses, campus visits by choir members, street flash-mob concerts, cultural tours, and interactive social events.

As Hong Kong’s only participating institution, Creative Primary School (CPS) and Creative Secondary School (CSS) sent 33 students and 8 teachers from the Creative Cadence Choir(啓思韻律合唱團) —including Principal Chan So Ming of Creative Primary School and Consultant Ms. Mou Suet Fong of Creative Secondary School - to represent our city on this national stage. Under the expert guidance of CPS Music Teacher Mr. Kenneth Leung, CSS Music Teacher Ms. Agnes Quilicot, and Mr. Alvin Kwok, who was mainly responsible for arranging the music for activities during Choir Week, the choir spent several months in preparation, meticulously refining each performance.

On the afternoon of 10 July, two choir members—one from CSS and one from CPS—participated in the “ 鼓嶺共繪” project, collaboratively painting a blueprint for world peace on the pavilion walls at Kuliang.

Then on that evening, students joined youth choirs from the United States and mainland China for a surprise flash mob in the historic lanes of Sanfang Qixiang(三坊七巷). This famed cultural street district is renowned for its well-preserved Ming Qing architecture and the former residences of luminaries such as Lin Huiyin(林徽因), Bing Xin(冰心) and Yan Fu(嚴復). Guided by docents and staffs, students toured the ancient architectural clusters, former residences and Shoushan stone(壽山石)—one of China’s four famed stones.

The next morning, on 11 July, Creative Cadence Choir visited Fuzhou Pingdong Middle School (屏東中學) for a multifaceted cultural exchange. Warmly welcomed by school leaders and volunteers, choir members dressed in traditional hanfu (漢服) and immersed themselves in calligraphy, lacquer-fan rubbing, and paper-cutting workshops. They tried the ancient pitch-pot game, followed by joining the Pingdong band in an outdoor performance of the Canton-pop classic “Boundless Oceans and Infinite Skies” (海闊天空). Their music filled the open courtyard, strengthening cooperative spirits between youths of Hong Kong and Fuzhou.

After that, the formal performance began with an exhilarating lion-dance and dragon performance. Next, the Shenlan Choir (莘藍合唱團) enchanted the audience with a rendition of “錦瑟” and a high school student from Pingdong High School delivered an impressive five-tone drum solo, the rhythms of which vividly evoked the encirclement of a battle. The program concluded with Creative Cadence’s heartfelt rendition of “We Are the World,” uniting youths from both regions in a song for peace and love.

The visit concluded with exchanges of commemorative gifts. The Creative Cadence Choir presented a custom-designed picture souvenir featuring dragon and lion dance silhouettes with CSS and CPS school buildings and the Victoria Harbour skyline in the background. The Choir also presented custom-made magnets bearing the CSS address, symbolizing the enduring friendships between youths of the Fuzhou and Hong Kong. CPS likewise presented its own school souvenirs, cementing the heartfelt bond between the two campuses.

On the evening of 12 July, the grand finale of the Kuliang Friendship China–U.S. Youth Choir Week took place at Fuzhou Grand Theatre, presenting a magnificent musical dialogue that transcended Eastern and Western cultures. Under the baton of CSS Music Teacher Mr. Alvin Kwok, 150 participants from the Creative Cadence Choir and the Tacoma Youth Choir joined forces with the Fujian Symphony Orchestra in an epic mash-up of Western masterpiece “We Are the World” and the renowned Chinese song “On the Fields of Hope” (在希望的田野上). Their stirring performance earned a standing ovation and powerfully demonstrated the power of music to transcend borders.

Reflecting on the experience, a Primary 4 student student from CPS shared, “I feel so fulfilled to have participated, and I hope to have the chance to join again next year in Primary 5 and the year after in Primary 6.” CSS Music Teacher Ms. Agnes Quilicot exclaimed, “Exchanging teaching insights with American choir instructors was immensely rewarding. I am hopeful about expanding the CSS choir and strengthening our collaboration with the mainland and other countries.“ Parents also gave positive feedback, noting the event “offered students a wonderful opportunity to broaden their horizons and embrace cultural diversity, calling it “both fulfilling and joyful”. These reflections all highlight the shared joy and lasting impact of this journey on students, teachers, and parents.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all mainland and Hong Kong staff, teachers, and students whose dedication and support made this remarkable cultural exchange possible. We also offer our heartfelt congratulations to our choir members and music teachers for their creativity, perseverance, and friendship.

The Kuliang Friendship China–U.S. Youth Choir event embodies the noble aspiration of forging bonds between Chinese and American young people, transcending geographical boundaries to raise a hymn of peace together. It is by uniting in harmony—and through music—that we span mountains and seas, singing as one to create a united world.

Photo credits: Most images courtesy of Fuzhou Daily; additional photos by CSS

Video credits: Courtesy of the Fuzhou Government