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While Beijingers have enjoyed many music festivals in the city, they are now savoring something new, something with an on-the-road feel, the InMusic Festival, which takes place on the grasslands of Zhangbei county, the northern part of Hebei province.
It is 230 kilometers from the capital and is one of the country's least densely populated areas, with no more than 30,000 people. But, only a four-hour drive from downtown, Beijingers flooded into that deserted place over the weekend to hear their favorite bands rock and to enjoy the beautiful nomadic scenery and the cooler weather.
There were great local rockers like Zheng Jun and Lao Lang as well as foreign acts Panic! At the disco and Killing Joke, taking up the three stages and fueling the excitement of the audience.
He Yong, who performed on the first day of the InMusic, says that it was one of his most memorable performance experiences, singing and playing on a mountain in the rain.
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 InMusic Festival was held over the weekend on the grasslands of Zhangbei. Cui Meng / China Daily |
"I felt like dancing in the rain," he chuckles. "It's great to have such a music festival on the grassland. You can escape from your normal life and it can actually be beautiful."
But for InMusic Festival, it's not just about great headliners, "it's also about transporting Beijing rock fans to a different kind of space and to experience music on the grassland," says the organizer Liu Yifan.
Due to the first day's rain, the road was muddy and temperatures low. But the audiences were still happy. Unlike other music festivals, which see people drinking beer and roaring all the time, InMusic Festival had a special atmosphere as people sat outside their tents around bonfires.
"August is the best time to travel to Zhangbei now that the weather is cooler than the capital," he says. "This year, the grassland is much greener and higher than last year's music festival. It's a relaxing trip for busy city people."
An estimated 40,000 people per day attended the music festival. |
The estimated attendance at the three-day event was over 40,000 people per day, which is similar to the first InMusic Festival last year.
"It's a bonus for us to enjoy rock music here especially during the scorching summer in Beijing," says Wang Miao, a T-shirt shop owner in Beijing, who went to the music festival last year and was impressed by the grassland and clear sky along with the music.
"So this year, I, together with a bunch of friends, packed up our tents, blankets, water and indie passion for the four-hour drive to Zhangbei, and we are surprised that this year is even better with more food sellers and toilets."
Wang also brought her T-shirts and other trendy accessories.
"You can see there are over 100 booths selling various products during the breaks," she says. "Not only can you make some money, but you can enjoy nature and have lots of fun."
China Daily
