TOKYO, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A symphony concert by Chinese musicians was staged at Japan's Tokyo Opera City on Friday evening to mark the 1,250th birth anniversary of the Japanese scholar-monk Kukai, a pioneer of Japan-China cultural exchanges.
Symphony Kukai, composed by Zou Ye, resident composer with the China Philharmonic Orchestra, is a large-scale Chinese original symphony based on the legendary life of the Japanese Buddhist monk.
The concert was conducted by Yu Long, chief conductor of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, and jointly performed by China's Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir, with the symphony showcasing cultural exchanges between China and Japan over about 2,000 years.
Music lover Toyomu Suzuki told Xinhua after the performance that the symphony is a grand work and very moving. He expressed hope that more Chinese music groups will come to Japan to perform.
"The music tells the story of Kukai's life. This is a wonderful performance. I once again deeply felt the ancient and enduring exchanges between Japan and China," a member of the audience Kazuko Hojo said.
Noting this year marks the 45th anniversary of the signing of the China-Japan Treaty of Peace and Friendship, Li Nan, head of the China Philharmonic Orchestra, said that as an important part of cultural exchanges, music has no borders.
The orchestra will continue to make contributions to the cultural exchanges between China and Japan, enhancing mutual understanding between the two peoples through music, Li added.
In the year of 804 AD, Monk Kukai traveled with a Japanese envoy to the Tang Dynasty to China, where he studied Buddhism and visited famous temples. After his return to Japan, he established the Shingon-shu school of the Buddhism in Japan, and introduced Chinese literature, calligraphy, astronomy, medicine and other knowledges to his country, making great contributions to Japanese culture. ■