Nessun Dorma by Passion in Music Group from Italy by Baofeng LakePhoto by Ning Jing

Incubeko ye Africa Band from South Africa, Full of WildTaste, Photo by Gan Weiping

Youth Orchestra of Uzbekistan and NationalOrchestra of Kuwait Gained Warm Popularityamong Chinese Audience, Photo by Ning Jing

Wang Qingxiang Hat Dance Company ofJilin Province Dedicated Joy of Mid-autumnFestival at Xibujie Squar, Photo by Ning Jing 

 Road of Countryside by Mark Levine, American Father ofContemporary Country Music Aroused Sympathy amongAudience, Photo by Gan Weiping

Passionate Flamenco Dance from Spain,Photo by Gan Weiping

 National Song and Dance Ensemble fromGeorgia Performed at Laomo Bay, Photoby Ning Jing

Windmills turned slowly to the accompaniment of the gurgling of stream, while the sound of songs was floating in the air. The opening ceremony of 2011 Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week was held in the pastoral scenic spot of the picturesque Yellow Dragon Cave Plaza. The ceremony itself overawed the audiences by displaying the remarkable aspects of the Music Week. The 2nd Country Music Week had the theme of "Our Country Music: World Natural Heritage", whose purpose was to exhibit the folk country music of different nations all around the world and carry out the exchange between them in order to promote the cultural development of world nations.  

On September 16th, with the rising of the song "I Sing on Top of the Mountain", the curtain of the Music Week was drawn at Hallelujah Music Hall of Yellow Dragon Cave. During the Music Week of 7 days, 32 foreign music bands from 27 countries of 5 continents and 8 Chinese music bands put on 54 performances with mountains and plains as the stage and the blue sky as the curtain, presenting a grand show of world country music to Chinese and foreign tourists. In comparison with the previous one, the Music Week of this year had more participant bands with more distinctive characteristics, which displayed the art performance of high level. Through the Music Week, we came to know that in the age of integration of global economy, every country took identical action without previous consultation to treasure the local culture of its own. The country music underwent the changes during the process of carrying on in order to be adjusted to the need of times.  

It happened to be the Chinese traditional Mid-Autumn Festival during the holding of the Country Music Week. On the night of September 12th, the sponsor held the music carnival night of enjoying the mid-autumn full moon on the Xibu Street of Wulingyuan. The carnival night had 6 performing venues; three of them were in the bars on the water with the gurgling stream on one side and the delicious food street on the other side, while other three venues were on the Wuling Dong Road and the Central Plaza respectively. When the night fell, a full moon hung high and red lights hung high in the Diaojiaolou, the stilted building on the Xibu Street. Local inhabitants and tourists brought along both the old and the young to enjoy performances. 500 musicians of Chinese and foreign bands were divided into 6 groups to perform. Their graceful dancing, passionate singing and melodious playing brought the house down. Some bands made introductions to the program before the performance in order to enable the audiences to appreciate it better. Some bands used Chinese to express greetings to the audiences, which greatly enlivened the atmosphere. Local inhabitants and tourists had passed a mid-autumn night filled with art appeal. 

The journalist came to know that Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week would be held every 2 years ever since now. The administrational units hoped to enable World Natural Heritage, Zhangjiajie to become the Mecca of international country music in the new future after the joint efforts from different parties. 

True Feelings in Magnificent Zhangjiajie , by Host Zhangjiajie Performing Group at Opening Ceremony, Photo by Gan Weiping