Chinese composer Tan Dun directs the concert Trilogy of Martial Arts at the 22nd International Festival Santiago a Mil in Santiago, capital of Chile.[Photo/Xinhua]

The Sino-Chile Culture Year started with the 22nd Santiago a Mil art festival on Jan 3. The well-known Chinese musical work, Nv Shu, was conducted by its composer, Tan Dun, and performed by the harpist Chen Yuying and the Santiago Philharmonic Orchestra at the San Diego Civic Theatre, the highest national art institution. Over 1,000 Chileans attended the concert.

Nv Shu, a musical series consisting of 13 different themes, is a 2013 work by Tan Dun that took five years to compose. The work is based on Chinese traditional culture regarding women – unique scripts written and passed on only among Chinese women. Mixed with videos, live symphony and traditional musical instruments, Nv Shu artistically represents the beauty of Chinese traditional art and Chinese women.

Another work by Tan Dun, Trilogy of Martial Arts was also played on the second day of the art festival. Trilogy of Martial Arts is composed of songs that belong to the original soundtracks of the movies Hero by Zhang Yimou, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon by Ang Lee, and The Banquet by Feng Xiaogang.

The Santiago a Mil art festival is one of the biggest annual events in Chile. The 16-day festival will feature over 90 shows.

Organized by the Chinese Ministry of Culture and the Chinese embassy in Chile, Sino-Chile Culture Year 2015 will see a variety of large-scale cultural events to mark the 45th anniversary of the two countries' ties.