Beijingers had plenty of options for outdoor reacreation this holiday weekend. Just one hour's ride to the West of the city is the Juyongguang segment of the Great Wall. But in recent years, it has also become the "go to" destination for electronic music lovers and party revellers. You would think this the scene of a rave concert somewhere in Europe. But look closer. Fast electronic beats reverberating between these thousand-year old walls.
The Great Wall Music Festival is a place to sport your individuality--Jump into a throng of andrenaline-packed party revellers and you will find a fiesta of the beautiful, the hip, and the rare oddball. Everyone has come to dance to the latest music remixes by top DJs from around the world.
This year's festival line up matches the grandiosity of the locale. Headlining the festival this year are Armin van Buuren, AfroJack and Paul Kalkbrenner, followed by an exciting list of supporting DJs such as Apster, D-Wayne and Don Diablo. Yet, what's truly interesting about the festival isn't just its A-list of celebrity DJs. The music festival's backdrop, the Great Wall, was orginally built to protect against foreign invasion and demarcate kingdom borders. Fast forward ten of centuries, and it has now turned into walls of inclusiveness--hosting people from all over the world. A battle to have fun and let one's hair down.
"It's like you're part of history. you can feel. I don't know what you feel, but it's definitely so much more special than playing at a club or festival...What's so nice about it is that it's the ultimate clash between the old and the new. And honestly, I'm not sure a lot of the kids realize what went down here or the cultural relevance behind it. I think even if you dont' know it, you feel it. That's what's important. It kind brings together generations from the past with generations now. I think that's how life should be. People should embrace each other from every generation. I think the fact that we're here and that we're doing a party here. That's a huge vote of confidence from the older generation towards the new generation. I think that alone, separate from the culture relevance, is very special," Disc Jockey Don Diablo said.
Last year, the festival attracted DJs such as David Ghetta, selling almost 10,000 ticket. The annual event has gained momentum and popularity since its began in 2011.
What makes it special it seems, is that both performers and party goers from all walks of life and all corners of the world are welcomed into this big party. No one is a stranger.
Whether they had come for the Great Wall, scenery , the music or the 9-hour non-stop party, the Great Wall Music Festival will come down as a party in Beijing that has changed history.
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