BeiJing, China – September 30, 2026 – On October 2, the“Hearing Each Other” 2026 World Rivers Gala, produced by the China Media Group’s Global Chinese Program Center, will be broadcast at 17:30 on CCTV-4 and other new media platforms of China Media Group.

The Gala resounded at the “Eternal Life” sculpture square in Wanzhou District, Chongqing. Musicians and guests from nearly 20 countries and regions, including the United States, France, Germany, Egypt, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia, gathered on the banks of the Yangtze River to exchange ideas and convey emotions through music with well-known domestic musicians, jointly composing a musical chapter of mutual learning and exchange among the world’s great river civilizations.

Musicians from all over the world gathered on the banks of the Yangtze River.

Wanzhou, a city that thrives because of water. As the confluence of many tributaries of the Yangtze River, the “convergence of all rivers” endows it with a bold and inclusive urban character, and also adds a unique cultural connotation to this song festival, namely, opening its heart to let the voices of the world’s great rivers converge here, and letting different civilizations meet in song.

The concert, themed “Hearing Each Other,” is divided into five chapters: “All Rivers Converge,” “The Sound of Rivers Through the Ages,” “Born Towards Water,” “Rivers in Peace,” and “Endless Life.” It connects the shared “memory of water” from different regions and civilizations, and sings a song of the world’s great rivers that transcends mountains and seas.

The characteristics of this concert are “fresh and warm” and “integrated and open.” Many musicians from different countries and regions will use their voices to communicate, allowing the civilizations of the great rivers to meet and blend in the melodies.

““The Sun is Lighting the Sky” is cheerful and lively, full of rich exotic flavor; “The Most Beautiful” is romantic and sincere, telling the beautiful feelings treasured in the heart; “Yearning for You” is fresh and timeless, expressing the eternal love of “I live at the head of the Yangtze River, you live at the tail of the Yangtze River”; “The Waves” is melodious and long, awakening the echoes deep in our memories; “Love Across Thousands of Miles” is endlessly charming, singing out the deep affection and longing that transcends mountains and rivers.

Rivers and Seas: A Musical Encounter Across Mountains and Seas

River boatmen’s chants, intangible cultural heritage Qingyin music, Sichuan opera, Wanzhou bamboo zither, piano, pipa… What kind of sparks will be ignited when different styles of sound meet at the concert?

French singer Hélène Rollès will perform her eponymous classic, “My Name is Hélène,” a romantic melody from the banks of the Seine flowing gently along the Yangtze River; American singer Annie will collaborate with a Sichuan opera actress in a crossover performance of “Silken Tress,” connecting East and West; Chinese music master Jinlong Fang will use the pipa to “echo” British singer Shaun Gibson’s original song “Journey,” allowing Eastern melodies to resonate with Western music; and Malaysian singer Jess Lee will lead the audience to experience the oldest and most powerful echoes from the depths of the Yangtze River with “Chuanjiang Haozi” (Adapted from a Chongqing Folk Song).

In addition, the original song “Ballad of the River,” specially created for this year’s concert, will also be performed. Yazhi Zhao and Kazakh singer Archakova Yekaterina will perform in the Tianshengcheng Cultural and Tourism District, bringing the magnificent river breeze, the everyday life of Wanzhou, its intangible cultural heritage, and youthful vitality to the world.

The salon was a place where people sat together and listened to each other in a sincere exchange.

Beyond the songs, the music salon will open up another way to “hear each other.” Musicians from all over the world will sit together and talk about the rivers of their hometowns, the water around them, and the nostalgia hidden in melodies, food, and daily life.

Among them, some spoke of the millennia-old cultural heritage nurtured by the Yangtze River, the brilliant poems that have been passed down to this day, connecting the river before them with distant history. Some recalled the bells ringing by the river in their hometowns, those once-familiar sounds that have now become the most familiar accents in their hearts. Some talked about the delicacies along the riverbanks, the flavors nurtured by the local water and soil, hiding the most simple longing for their hometown. Others traveled along the Yangtze River, experiencing the rapid development of China through the changes in the cities along its banks.

The world’s waterways are all interconnected , from the Yangtze to the Nile, from the Thames to the Mississippi. Different rivers nurture different cultures, yet they carry similar emotions. Music is like an invisible river, gently connecting different people, cultures, and eras wherever it flows.

Tune in to “Hearing Each Other” 2026 World Rivers Gala at 5:30 PM Beijing time on October 2nd. Let’s meet through the rivers and songs, and hear each other on the banks of the Yangtze River.

About CPEC：

CPEC was founded on June 10, 2015. It is capable of planning large‑scale reality shows and conducting live web‑streaming. The company has participated in program production and channel rebranding for multiple TV channels, and also engages in documentary‑related businesses.

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