Beijing exhibition traces evolution of Chinese music

The "Harmony in Resonance: Chinese Traditional Music Digital Art Exhibition" opened at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing on July 8 and runs through Aug. 23.

An immersive installation recreates the moonlit riverside of a Tang dynasty poem about pipa music, with a pipa as its centerpiece, at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing, July 23, 2026. [Photo by Yang Chuanli/China.org.cn]

Centered on China's traditional musical heritage, the exhibition combines digital technologies and interactive installations to deliver a visual, auditory and tactile experience.

A visitor wears headphones and views a miniature-scene exhibit at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing, July 23, 2026. [Photo by Yang Chuanli/China.org.cn]

The exhibition moves chronologically through three traditions: music of the imperial court, music of the scholarly class and music of ordinary people. It is arranged in five chapters, each built around a well-known musical story.

An interactive bianzhong projection wall fitted with touch-sensitive points is displayed at the China Millennium Monument in Beijing, July 23, 2026. [Photo by Yang Chuanli/China.org.cn]

Each chapter highlights one representative traditional Chinese instrument: the bianzhong, guqin, pipa, erhu and suona. Together they illustrate the cultural characteristics of Chinese traditional music across distinct historical periods.

Digital technologies run throughout the exhibition space, including music visualization, motion capture and motion-sensing interaction. Departing from conventional static display panels, the exhibition turns visitors from passive onlookers into active participants.

Capital Culture and Technology Group guided the exhibition, with academic support from the China Conservatory of Music.