THE two-day Chinese rock and folk music festival, “Friends From the East,” was held in New York City last weekend, drawing thousands of fans, mainly those in their 20s and 30s.

So passionate was the fans’ enthusiasm that they lined up along the sidewalk leading to the venue, the Knockdown Center in Queens borough, braving the cold wind and rain, hours before the show started.

Among those that had come from afar was Allan Yong, a Ph.D candidate at Carleton University who flew in from Ottawa, Canada, to join both nights of live concerts, staged by four renowned Chinese rock bands, namely the Omnipotent Youth Society (Wanqing), Wu Tiao Ren, the Landlord’s Cats and Miserable Faith.

“Wanqing has blown my mind. The live concert is very different from their record, and you will have to come in person to experience the difference,” Yong said. The band formed in 1996 in Shijiazhuang, an industrial city in North China’s Hebei Province.

This is the first time since he left China in the early 2000s that Yong has attended a live Chinese rock concert.

“To me, Chinese bands are like Chinese cuisine. No matter where I am, or how many genres of music I have enjoyed, the music created by these bands are always special,” said Yong, looking forward to more shows from Chinese bands in North America. “The contemporary nature of these modern bands, always reminds me how much China has developed in past decades.”

Liu Fang, now studying at Cornell University, agreed that attending these performances was not just about enjoying music; it was a journey back to their roots, a chance to feel at home and unleash their inner voices.

“Here I found a sense of belonging,” said Liu, a fan of Wu Tiao Ren, a veteran group of folk-rockers from South China’s Guangdong Province.

“You will reflect on your own life when you listen to Wu Tiao Ren’s musical pieces which depict everyday life,” she said.

The festival even reignited Liu’s dream of forming a band with her friend Xue Rui, now working in New York City.

The music festival is really important for U.S. students to gain exposure to Chinese youth culture, said Harry Shaheen, an East Asian Studies major at Harvard University.

“Though some foreigners may be aware of China’s rich traditional culture and long history, they are not familiar with Chinese youth culture and rock music,” said Shaheen, a student of China and Central Asia studies at Harvard.

Shaheen became a fan of Chinese rock music while studying in China as an exchange student.

“Rock music from China and the United States don’t have significant differences while Chinese rock music shows influences from traditional Chinese culture,” he said.

Shaheen said he already introduced these Chinese bands to his friends and translated the lyrics into English for them to better appreciate the show.

Elizabeth Snett, a fashion designer from New York City, said the music transcended language barriers. “If we didn’t come out tonight, we would have never known these great bands,” she said. Her friends Sylvie Staiger and Tina Tiehen also were impressed by the Chinese artists.

“You can definitely recognize their talent and feel their passion,” said Tiehen who had traveled from Chicago to attend the event.

The festival acts as a cultural bridge, allowing the world to witness the evolution of Chinese rock music as it has become an integral part of the global music scene, said Li Hongjie, founder of the festival, who now lives in Los Angeles.

At the heart of their performances, these bands blend traditional Chinese elements with contemporary sounds, creating a melody that is both rooted in history and forward-looking, Li said.

As these bands toured major U.S. cities in the United States, they offered an insight into the soul of a new generation that is navigating the complexities of contemporary China. They also helped break down stereotypes about China and its people, Li said.(Xinhua)