Tiantai Zen music festival in Hong'an

The third Tiantai Zen music festival will be held in Hong'an county, Central China’s Hubei province, from May 6 to 8, chinadaily.com.cn reported. It’s the first Zen music festival in China with the theme, “Practice through music and cultivating buddhism by virtue.”

The opening of the Zen music festival on May 6 will include a folk tea plucking performance, Buddha’s birthday celebration, a song and dance performance, Zen music and tea cultural seminar, painting and calligraphy exhibition, and charity activities, according to Shiwule, abbot of Tiantai Temple.

He said they welcome people from all walks of life to visit Tiantai Mountain and appreciate Zen music, which can cultivate and purify their hearts.

During the festival, there will be more than 40 educated monks performing in the Zen concert. Sheng Zhongguo, president of the violin society of the Chinese Musicians Association, Ye Xiaogang, vice-president of the Central Conservatory of Music, Liang Da’nan, chief of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and 20 other artists were invited to the festival.

To put on the Zen music festival, Hong'an Creative Agriculture Development Co Ltd also invited composers and opera artists. The 70-minute musical dance drama, "Tiantai Temple Zen Rhyme", intends to spread the concept of Buddhism, encouraging people to improve themselves and finding their true self in daily life.

Qin Yong, general manager of the company, said "Tiantai Temple Zen Rhyme" will become a new calling card demonstrating the rapid development of Hong'an county, and also for China’s multiculturalism.

Hong'an Tiantai Temple has a long history and a strict lineage. There are monks 18 to 30 years old. Shiwule, the abbot, was a former professor at Wuhan Conservatory of Music who combined music with Buddhist meditation and created many works after he became a monk.

In addition, he taught monks to play musical instruments, and established the Guangxuan Art Troupe, which attracted wide attention from home and abroad. Now, the "three Zens of Tiantai" -- Zen music, Zen tea and Zen forest -- has become a symbol of Tiantai Mountain and Tiantai Temple of Hong'an.

Each year thousands of tourists come to experience the Zen culture.

Monks from Tiantai Temple in Hong'an county, Hubei province, play violin on top of Tiantai Mountain. [Provided to China Daily]

Guangxuan Art Troupe rehearses for the Tiantai Zen music festival. [Provided to China Daily]

A young monk plays violin at the opening ceremony of the Zen music festival. [Provided to China Daily]

Edited by Nelly Min and Le Qin