Like our last story, a lot of events happening around the country are being dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Macao Chinese orchestra joined the celebration as well, performing two special concerts at the Beijing Concert Hall over the weekend.

Musical instruments from the east and the west blend well in one orchestra. That's how the Macao Chinese Orchestra interprets traditional Chinese melodies and contemporary pieces such as the one you're hearing called "Float". And it's the debut of the piece composed by Zhang Dalong. Zhang is one of the artists who was invited to the Macao Special Administrative Region to experience the unique local culture. By being exposed to a place where East and West have merged for centuries,he and other artists before him have created works with a strong Macao flavor.

2009 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. It's also the tenth year since Macao returned to China in 1999. Peng Jiapeng, conductor of the Macao Chinese Orchestra, is one of those who witnessed the changes over the past decade.

Conductor Peng Jiapeng said, "If you visit Macao now, you'll experience a strong atmosphere of celebration. Everyone in Macao has seen the changes in almost all aspects of life over the past ten years. From our orchestra, you can see more exchanges and communication between us and the Chinese mainland. Now, about half of the members are from the mainland."

The Macao Chinese Orchestra was set up by the Cultural Institute of Macao in 1987, and currently consists of 34 musicians. It performs regularly with frequent concerts in Macao, and annually goes on a foreign tour in a tradition that began in December of 1988 with its first visit to Portugal.

Editor: Feng Hui