An exhibition, titled The Beatles, Tomorrow, is currently under way at the Today Art Museum in Beijing. [Photo/todayartmuseum.com]

Then Zhang asked one of his classmates, a Japanese student, to buy him a cassette during a trip to Hong Kong at that time. Unfortunately, his classmate bought a cassette by a band from the Philippines covering Beatles' songs.

"When my Japanese classmate finally bought me the legal recording of the Beatles, I listened to their songs and realized why they influenced so many people," says Zhang. "They invented a new sound for a rock band. I particular enjoyed their impeccable vocal harmonies."

As he grew up, Zhang became a big fan of the Beatles and bought the band's albums on his travels around the world. One of his favorite songs from the band is called Carry That Weight, which was written by Lennon and McCartney and was released as a single from their album Abbey Road in 1969.

"I particularly like the lyrics: 'Boy, you're gonna carry that weight, Carry that weight a long time'. When I listened to that song in my 20s, I was overwhelmed then and I am overwhelmed even today," says Zhang. "Undoubtedly, they are one of the greatest bands in the world and their legacy can still be felt today around the world."