Xuanzang’s Pilgrimage, a major production of the China National Traditional Orchestra in 2017, is undoubtedly a feast for folk music buffs, as more than 100 traditional Chinese instruments are featured in the play.
Underpinned by the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West, which centers around the Tang (618-907) monk Xuanzang’s pilgrimage to the West – what is now known as Central Asia and India – to obtain Buddhist sacred texts, the play also highlights the fusion of folk music of the Han people and that of the Uygurs, Kazaks, Tajiks and Indians, to reveal the diverse cultures along the ancient Silk Road.
