Life and Leisure

Festival fun in Fangshan

By Mu Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-17 07:49

Since the traditional Mid-Autumn Festival gained the status of a public holiday two years ago, it has become yet another excuse for Beijing's young people to get out and enjoy the cool weather of September, the best time of year in the capital.

The Music Fun Hill Festival will make use of this public holiday to attract people to Changyang township in Beijing's Fangshan district, some 30 km southwest of the city center.

Held from Sept 21 to 23, the festival will feature such international acts as Ian Brown, Mr Hudson, Zero 7, and The Concretes, Taiwan singers Chyi Chin and Joanna Wang, and local artists such as Zuoxiao Zuzhou, Zhang Chu and Li Jian.Li, an ex-member of the pop group Shuimu Nianhua and well-known as the writer of Faye Wong's Legend, is the singer of the festival's theme song Changyang.

"I'm glad that three groups from the UK are coming to perform at the festival together with some very interesting Chinese groups," says David Elliot, director of arts of British Council China.

The three-day festival offers four stages: the Sunflower Stage, featuring mainstream pop and rock; the Dandelion Stage, showcasing folk music; the Rose Stage, electronic music; and the Chrysanthemum Stage for new singers with original works.

Besides the four stages, the festival will also offer a food court, fashion market, graffiti zone and camping area, providing a creative and relaxing atmosphere for festival-goers.

A day ticket costs 150 yuan ($22), while tickets for two days cost 240 yuan, and for three days 320 yuan. There will be a free shuttle bus between Beijing TV Station's new building and the festival during the three days.

The Music Fun Hill Festival, like most recent music festivals, is supported by real estate developers and the local government, with the aim of promoting the area.

China Daily