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A grand piano concert assembling 200 pianos and pianists created a spectacular scene at the Shenzhen Citizens' Center Sunday afternoon, bringing celebrations of the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's birthday centenary to a climax.

Themed "Ictus of Times," the concert was held on the second floor of the Citizens' Center and was attended by Shenzhen Vice Mayor Yan Xiaopei and other leaders of the city's cultural sector including Chen Wei, director-general of the municipal cultural bureau.

An audience of thousands, many of whom were representatives of various housing communities and garrison troops, also witnessed the grand performance, which was notarized on site and is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.

When the 200 pianists began playing simultaneously, the music created a powerful sound effect. With three Chinese piano masters, Liu Shikun, Kong Xiangdong and Zuo Zhang, as the leading players, the orchestra included popular Chinese piano concertos such as Story in Spring and Yellow River as well as several well-known foreign pieces such as Elderweis, Do Re Mi, The Blue Danube Waltz and Ode to Joy.

All the pianos were provided by 11 local piano agencies. The pianists, recruited from the public and aged between 8 and 82, were mostly primary and secondary school students.

Dai Leren, 82, was the oldest musician.

"Without Xiaoping, there would be no Shenzhen. He was the reform architect who led China to a prosperous country. He was a great man of China," he told the media after the concert.

A boy named Zhu Lin, 8, said his grandfather had urged him to join the concert. Zhu said he had been studying in the United States and was spending the summer vacation with his grandparents.

"It was very exciting to participate in a concert like this," he said.

 
Editor: Catherine