An exhibition showing sound recordings from the British Library and sound samples collected in Pingshan District is being held at Pingshan Library.

Titled “LISTEN: The Story of Recorded Sound — Pingshan • Shenzhen,” the exhibition presents highlights of the British Library’s sound archive, such as the world’s first wildlife recording in 1889, the first electrical recording sold to the public in 1920, Sir Arthur John Gielgud’s reading of William Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 18” in 1932 and many other recordings.

“This exhibition shows just how important the sounds of the past 140 years have been to our lives ever since the invention of the phonograph in 1877,” said Jamie Andrews, who leads cultural programming and learning work at the British Library, in a video. “You’ll hear excerpts from all history interviews showing how sound recording has been vitally important in capturing the testimonies of ordinary people in their own words for the benefit of historians and researchers of the future,” added Andrews.

In addition to the British Library exhibition, an exhibition displaying Pingshan’s symbolic sounds is also being held there. It presents sounds recorded at 50 sites across the district to reveal its natural environment, folk traditions, modern culture, technologies and other aspects. Visitors can hear the recordings by scanning QR codes onsite, using CD players or pressing buttons on a touchscreen that displays a map of the recording sites. A spherical space installed with environmentally friendly corrugated fiberboards has also been set up at the exhibition. Visitors can hear an audio clip that presents the historical development of Pingshan in the space.

“Pingshan is an area that is in development. That’s a great step forward to introduce its cultural aspect,” said Samuel Sadiq, a German teacher from Shenzhen Technology University. “Everyone considers that Shenzhen has no culture at all when you compare it to cities like Xi’an, Beijing or Nanjing. Now, we have our chance to show that it can be a cultural hub as well.”

Vinyl salons for music lovers and cultural tours around Pingshan will also be held.

Dates: Until Feb. 20, 2022

Venue: Pingshan Library, Hekang Road, Pingshan District (坪山区荷康路坪山图书馆)

Transport: Take the high-speed rail from Shenzhen North Station to Pingshan Station and then take a taxi

(Lin Lin)