On the evening of July 17, the Music Hall of Shanghai University hosted a special performance titled "When the World Sings in Chinese" — a Chinese-language concert that brought together students from China and abroad. Singers from more than 20 countries — including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal, France, Vietnam, Ghana, Liberia, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Morocco, Peru, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Iran — took the stage to perform in Chinese. They sang of youth, dreams, friendship, and personal growth, delivering a musical celebration that transcended language and cultural boundaries.

The Haiyan Choir and the HEY International Student Choir of Shanghai University jointly presented the concert. Through Chinese songs and the universal language of music, these young performers from diverse backgrounds expressed their engagement with Chinese language and culture. Their performances also offered a vivid reminder of music's power to connect hearts and minds across borders.

Hosts:
Li Meiyin (College of International Education, Thailand),
Jin Yu (College of International Education, Russia),
Chen Hanbin (Shanghai Film Academy, Indonesia),
Cui Yuze (College of International Education, Uzbekistan) 

Chapter I: Moonlight and Growth

The first chapter began with The Same Moonlight, then moved through Dark Sky, A Lifetime Bond, You Are the Most Precious, and No Matter How Far Apart We Are. These songs explored themes of growth, family, friendship, and companionship — emotions that resonate with young people everywhere, regardless of nationality.

The Same Moonlight
Fang Yunhan (School of Economics, China),
Xu Siyuan (School of Journalism and Communication, China)

Dark Sky
Xie Chunyu (College of Liberal Arts, Malaysia),
Nana (College of Liberal Arts, Ghana),
Lili (School of Economics, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

A Lifetime Bond
Anshun (School of Journalism and Communication, Nepal)

You Are the Most Precious
Li Meiyin (College of International Education, Thailand),
Chen Hanbin (Shanghai Film Academy, Indonesia)

No Matter How Far Apart We Are
Liu Xinrui (School of Materials Science and Engineering, China),
Feng Xianjian (School of Materials Science and Engineering, China)

Chapter II: Hearing the Sea Within

Listen to the Sea, Big Fish, The Song That Has Faded Away, Do You Still Love Me?, and Me filled the second chapter. These songs gave voice to longing, hope, memory, and self-discovery — emotions that resonated deeply through every heartfelt Mandarin performance.

Listen to the Sea
Nicolas (College of Liberal Arts, France)

Big Fish

Fan Jinyin (School of Management, Vietnam)

The Song That Has Faded Away
Lin Jiewen (Shanghai Film Academy, Malaysia),
Xie Chunyu (College of Liberal Arts, Malaysia)

Do You Still Love Me?
Nana (College of Liberal Arts, Ghana),
Qiao Yong (College of International Education, Liberia)

Me
Wu Meiyu (School of Journalism and Communication, Malaysia)

Chapter III: Love and Dreams

Don't Let Love Fade, We Are Different, One Hundred Ways to Live, Ten Years, and Liang Liang made up the third chapter. With styles ranging from tender ballads to uptempo pop, these songs celebrated dreams, diversity, and resilience — and brought students from different countries together to perform beloved Chinese classics.

Don't Let Love Fade

Mahe'an (College of International Education, Turkmenistan),

Yu Tiange (School of Management, Sri Lanka)

We Are Different

Yi Jichen (School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Morocco),

Song Mo (School of Economics, Morocco),

Anshun (School of Journalism and Communication, Nepal)

One Hundred Ways to Live

Zhang Pitong (Shanghai Film Academy, Malaysia)

Ten Years

Deng Yukun (School of Management, China),

Liu Zelei (School of Microelectronics, China)

Liang Liang

Jin Yu (College of International Education, Russia),

Cui Yuze (College of International Education, Uzbekistan)

Chapter IV: Youth and Beyond

Be Free, Things You Don't Know, Rescue, and Friends closed the concert. When students from all corners of the world joined their voices in Friends, the moment transcended language entirely — becoming a sincere, borderless expression of shared goodwill.

Be Free

Jia Pengyu (College of Liberal Arts, China),

Ai Duohan (School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, China),

Liu Zhijun (Shanghai Film Academy, China),

Peng Yixiang (School of Communication and Information Engineering, China)

Things You Don't Know

Rosa (School of Management, Peru),

Ito Seiko (Shanghai Academy of Fine Arts, Japan)

Rescue

Yu Tiange (School of Management, Sri Lanka)

Friends

Li Yang (College of International Education, Saudi Arabia),

Kang Batian (College of International Education, Democratic Republic of the Congo),

Fang Jiewei (School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Iran) 

Throughout the evening, each performer introduced themselves in Chinese and shared the story behind their song. For many of the international students, Chinese is more than a language they study — it is a gateway to understanding the culture behind it. Singing in Chinese, they have found, offers a way not just to practice the language, but to connect with the country, its people, and its stories on a deeper level.

"When the World Sings in Chinese" was never just a concert. It was a conversation among young people from different cultures — brought together by a shared language, bound by a shared love of music. What traveled through the hall that night was not only melody, but also understanding, respect, and friendship. The evening also offered a glimpse into how Shanghai University is bringing international education and cross-cultural dialogue to life.

Source: Shanghai University