Red Cheongsam @ Midnight

After passing through the crowd and into the subway, I walked across several lanes and came to a big hotel. I put on the dress, sat down, and had a dream. I dreamed I was a singer in Old Shanghai, wearing a gorgeous cheongsam and singing old songs. I saw the stories of the people in the audience on their faces: the skater boy playing in the alley, the rich man who likes eating at roadside stands, the old lady living in the central courtyard who likes playing mahjong, the chef of the imperial kitchen, the punk girl smoking on the Bell and Drum Tower, the beautiful Beijing opera actress dancing. Then I woke up: I saw the cocktails held in the hands of the audience. The city’s color was blurred by the great change of times and the blended culture that was like the colors of the cocktails. Walking in the midnight city, I felt the eternal spirit and strong passion buried underground. This feeling flowed through my body and infected my life. Those ancient red city walls and modern skyscrapers were running in the opposite direction, and there was only red in front of my eyes. Red cheongsam@midnight uses timbres that reflect the quality of the cheongsam. Various instruments depict the colorful patterns on the red background. The cheongsam is both a fashion of old Shanghai and a symbol of Chinese urban culture. It represents traditional Chinese culture but has absorbed some western elements. I’ve chosen my theme from fragments of Beijing opera and the harmonies and rhythms from jazz. In this way I portray the clash between Eastern and Western cultures which is often experienced by the people in modern society. Fay Wang