New York, NY (Top40 Charts / THE CHINESE YOUTH) Recently, the premiere of THE CHINESE YOUTH, a new variety show produced by iQIYI, one of China's top 3 video-streaming websites, caused heated discussions amongst Chinese netizens. The fervor then swept through all of China's major social media platforms.
The Chinese Youth gathered 20 exceptional youngsters to display the beauty of China's traditional culture. On the show, they play Chinese folk instruments, interpret Chinese classical dance, sing traditional style songs, and eliver staged performances that highlight China-style.
In the first episode of the show, a girl named Hanikezi won avid acclaim with her attractive appearance and breathtakingly stunning interpretation of the dance "A
Dream to Dunhuang". Fervent discussions sent the tag #HanikeziIsSoBeautiful# trending across all major social media platforms in China. People went euphoric, sharing their appreciation for the girl everywhere, essentially taking over many of the device screens connected to the Internet.
Yunlei Zhang Praised the "Sanxian Boy" Profusely; Glad that Kids Born After 1995 Still Love China-style
Besides beautiful faces, the audience also zeroed in on contestants who spread Chinese traditional culture via professional artistic skills.
One example was Liu Feng from the
National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts. He sang the song "Beijing Youth", which he accompanied with the sanxian, a traditional Chinese instrument. The lyrics incorporated several landmarks of Beijing and were heavily infused with the Beijing regional dialect and style. Listening to it makes one feel like one's truly standing in a Beijing "hutong" (alley). The act received wide praise after the broadcast.
Two other contestants—Liu Yu from Beijing Dancing Academy and Qian Wei from the Central Conservatory of Music—impressed everyone with a Chinese classic dance named "Red" and a rendition of the song "Laughter Heard Across the Oceans" played on the guqin, an ancient Chinese instrument.
Yunlei Zhang, one of the THE CHINESE YOUTH's three judges, could not hold back his praise for the contestants: "They love these things that most kids born after 1995 don't accept any more. They are studying Chinese traditional instruments like the Chinese Harp and sanxian and can play it pretty well. I'm truly moved."
Ju Jingyi Declares that
Idols Have the Duty to Promote China-style; Netizens Give Her a "Thumbs Up"
Another judge, hugely popular singer-actress Ju Jingyi, debuted on the show in a traditional Chinese outfit. Her passion for China-style and dedication for cultural heritage were obvious in her opening show and feedback to the contestants.
She brought up the idea that performers need to have a proper evaluation of themselves in order to improve consistently. She said: "If fans like you, they'll say whatever you're doing is great. But you must know whether or not you're actually good."
Also, she declared that Chinese superstars have the duty to promote China-style. Her positive attitude won the approval of countless netizens.
Chinese Traditional Culture in the Limelight
THE CHINESE YOUTH garnered widespread approval on the
Internet after its debut. The Hanfu (Chinese traditional costume), moon-shaped fans, jue (wine cup), he (wine vessel), folk instruments, and other elements of Chinese traditions showcased in the show demonstrated the long-lasting and deeply entrenched culture of China. Through the youngsters' interpretation, the charisma of Chinese traditional culture was fully unleashed.
