foreign singers you changjing and qing lian from "breaking the blaze 4" were interviewed by the global times: "there are so many places worth exploring in china"
2024-09-21
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[global times reporter zhang zhenshao qunyu yangliu] "music is a boat that can carry many expressions, and culture is one of them." the panoramic music competition reality show "breaking the thorns 4" was launched on mango tv on august 2. since then, 34 guests from different countries and across multiple age groups have been divided into two camps, "hot brothers" and "hot brothers", to compete and start the journey of breaking the thorns together. recently, foreign singers you changjing and qing lian, who joined "breaking the thorns 4" as "hot brothers", accepted an exclusive interview with the global times to share their experience of participating in the show and their understanding and memory of chinese culture.
a fruitful journey
the "breaking the thorns" series has always attracted outstanding artists from different countries and cultural backgrounds to compete on the same stage with an open and friendly atmosphere, including you changjing, a chinese from malaysia, and qing lian, a japanese-american born in cuba. you changjing, who is well-known for his talent show, is looking forward to returning to the "competitive stage". "i am ready to embark on a new journey and look forward to seeing more possibilities for me here, getting in touch with new fields, and stepping out of my comfort zone." qing lian sighed, "i am very lucky to have this particularly good opportunity," and hopes to try more through this platform to achieve the goal of "growing up a little and becoming more mature."
qing lian dressed himself up as the "god of wealth" in "breaking the thorns 4".
in you changjing's view, the song selection phase of the first stage was an "adventure", hoping to let the audience see another side of himself, "i am glad to break myself and stick to this 'experiment'." on the stage of "breaking the thorns 4", you changjing often served as the captain, leading the entire team, allowing the audience to see everyone's most shining side. he did not feel pressured about this, "i enjoy this state very much. although there are hardships and difficulties, it is very refreshing as long as i can get through them. these unique and unrepeatable memories are also the greatest wealth of my journey."
regarding the varied stage performances in the show, qing lian said that "each stage is very challenging". in the show, he tried modern dance, which he had never touched before, integrating his inner emotions with body language. in addition to gaining many "firsts" on stage, qing lian also learned to balance the time for training and rest. qing lian told the global times reporter: "i hope to show everyone the best of me, and i will always remember the summer of 2024."
china is where dreams grow
for you changjing, whose identity as a "foreigner" is often forgotten, pursuing his dreams in china seems to be a destined part of his life. "my ancestral home is in fujian, and i have been studying in a chinese school since i was a child. my parents have always insisted on immersing me in chinese culture." years of accumulation made him feel very familiar when he first landed in china. "when i heard that everyone was speaking mandarin like me, i thought of a word - cultural connection."
you changjing, who loved watching chinese tv programs when he was a student, was very much attracted by the open and inclusive creative environment of chinese music. the professional music education system also strengthened his determination to pursue his dream in china. "it is what i want to do to give people who love music the opportunity to show their hobbies, abilities, and ideas, and to allow various forms of expression and music to collide with each other." when asked about his feelings about developing in china, you changjing said that he "really integrated" and his authentic mandarin often made the audience forget that he grew up in another country.
after 6 years of debut, you changjing has grown a lot. the biggest change is that his goals are clearer and he has found the rhythm of controlling his life. what remains unchanged is his love for music. the rich and colorful chinese culture has made you changjing feel the beauty of the world. "everyone can learn more about the culture of different places, including many unknown traditional cultures. different cultures have different beauty. this is a very beautiful thing."
"china gave me the opportunity to realize my dream and a happy experience, and allowed me to make close friends in life." in 2018, qing lian debuted with the japanese-american male singing group intersection. in 2021, he came to china to participate in the variety show "creation camp 2021", and won the love of the audience with his stunning stage performance. since then, he has taken root in china to pursue his musical dream. talking about the opportunity to come to china, qing lian said, "i am very glad that i took this step bravely." the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" in the mouth of his friends has allowed him to meet more fans and friends and feel the beauty of chinese culture.
"there are so many places worth exploring in china. i like every culture here. every city has its own unique style and charm." after truly taking root in china, qinglian has a stronger interest in chinese culture. qinglian, who praises changsha's food, loves this city very much. "i especially like changsha's stir-fried dishes and crayfish." in the future, qinglian wants to explore more aspects of china. "china is so big. if i have the opportunity, i want to explore it 100%. i want to go to chongqing and xinjiang. i heard that xinjiang is very beautiful."
music helps culture to be better transmitted
you changjing, who has been influenced by chinese culture since childhood, felt the powerful force of music and culture in "the great wall 4". "although there is a language barrier between us, when everyone completes the work together, you will find that language is not an obstacle. good works are not limited by language." not long ago, you changjing was deeply moved by the stage performance of "iron clothes". the perfect fusion of sonorous rhythm and intangible cultural heritage lion dance culture made him feel the power of culture. "this kind of music with strong chinese cultural elements makes me feel inexplicably moved. i think this is the powerful power that chinese culture brings to everyone. whenever we hear that 'signal', our blood begins to burn."
understanding the culture behind different music is also a wonderful thing for you changjing. speaking of teacher gong linna, whom he has known for many years, he admires her very much. "as an artist who has reached a certain level, she is still constantly learning and trying to integrate the culture and singing styles of various ethnic groups into her music." in you changjing's view, culture can awaken everyone's senses, and music can bring people closer together. "we can't remember all cultures in our lifetime, but music is a boat that can carry many expressions, and culture is one of them."
qing lian, who dressed himself up as the "god of wealth" when they first met on the show, grew up in a collision of multiple cultures. communicating and cooperating with brothers from different cultural backgrounds is a wonderful journey for qing lian. in his opinion, despite cultural differences, they can still communicate, learn and appreciate each other on stage. the rich cultural background also provides them with a point of entry for in-depth communication. "cultural differences open up our topics. there are many things we want to share. we can talk about culture for a long time."
"chinese culture is broad and profound, and i love every culture here." qinglian was still very unfamiliar with china in high school, but now he can accept interviews fluently in chinese and try out the rich and colorful traditional cultural customs. qinglian said, "i feel comfortable speaking this way, and i want to show my chinese."
when asked about his favorite traditional chinese festival, qinglian chose the spring festival. he said he often shared the joy of the spring festival with chinese friends and experienced traditional customs such as writing spring festival couplets with a brush. "the spring festival is of great significance in chinese culture. every spring festival, i can feel that every chinese is proud and happy. as a foreigner, i am lucky to experience the atmosphere of the spring festival."
the two have many plans and expectations for the future. you changjing, who is about to release his second album, is also looking forward to meeting his fans in the next round of tours as soon as possible. qing lian said that his biggest wish is to "go with the flow, continue to believe in music, and stay happy." he hopes that his life and career can develop according to his expectations. at the same time, he also looks forward to creating more beautiful memories in china, a land full of opportunities and challenges. "i will be myself, and i hope you can be yourself too."
