SANTIAGO, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The Traditional Instruments Orchestra of China's Nanjing University offered a concert of classical Chinese music on Tuesday in Chile, impressing Chilean young audience.
"Nanjing University has sent this delegation to visit different universities and schools in Chile, in a bid to bring Chilean youth closer to Chinese culture through music," said Gu Hongjuan, the academic director of the Confucius Institute at Chile's Catholic University.
The students at the school Colegio Yangtse were captivated from the start. The orchestra is famed for its use of traditional Chinese instruments such as liuqin, a four-stringed mandolin, dizi or the horizontal bamboo flute, and suona, a woodwind instrument known for its high-pitched sound.
Students were especially enthralled at being able to get an up close look at the instruments and play them after the concert.
In his opening speech, Xie Jin, also a member of the Confucius Institute, praised the performance as an opportunity "to overcome language and cultural barriers." Xie said events like this "serve to build bridges of mutual knowledge and friendship between two distant countries."
