Technology

Sound of Tan Dun: How a Hunan villager grew into Academy and Grammy Award winner

Published

2 years ago

October 21, 2024

BEIJING, Oct. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tan Dun is not a new face at the Beijing Music Festival. The Academy Award and Grammy Award winner for his music score in Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon has been a frequent visitor to one of the biggest classic music fests in China over the past 30 years.

What is new for the 2024 event is the Ancient Bells of Peking’s Central Axis composed by Tan, who was inspired by Beijing’s Central Axis – the 7.8-kilometer-long north-south line through the capital’s historical center that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 27.

The world-renowned artist has made an indelible mark on the world’s music scene with a creative repertoire that spans the boundaries of classical music, multimedia performances and Eastern and Western traditions.

The Global Times talked with Tan about his musical messages to the world and the future, and his belief in the magic of music connecting the world as well as his legendary journey from a village boy standing in the field to a great musician standing in the world’s top music halls.

At the Beijing Music Festival’s opening concert on October 5, Tan led the China National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of his music piece Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds, during which the orchestra members held up their phones to play recordings of traditional Chinese instruments imitating birds chirping. The traditional Chinese composition Hundreds of Birds Worshiping the Phoenix and Stravinsky’s The Firebird were also staged. The two are also set to be performed in France in the China National Symphony Orchestra’s tour later in October.

“Music is an ambassador to the world and the best language that can be shared by different kinds of people from different cultural backgrounds,” Tan told the Global Times.

“The world needs peace, friendship and dialogue now. We are excited to share music and the specific voice of today, the voice of nature, the voice of peace and the voice of friendship.”

Linking past and future

Looking for a bridge to link everyone in the world and also link the world’s future and the past, Tan decided to turn to the music of birds, from ancient times to the modern era, and further on to the future with cell phones and digital birds.

The birds in the Hundreds of Birds Worshiping the Phoenix and Stravinsky’s The Firebird have been introduced to “link China’s ancient culture about the phoenix and others, as well as Passacaglia.”

Chinese national music piece Hundreds of Birds Worshiping the Phoenix is a masterpiece that often demonstrates the excellent sound of the suona, a loud, high-pitched traditional Chinese musical instrument.

In 2015, the Carnegie Hall commissioned Tan to write a new piece for the National Youth Orchestra of the US’s tour of China. With the goal of combining the ancient with the modern, Passacaglia: Secret of Wind and Birds was born. The piece incorporates recordings of traditional Chinese instruments imitating bird songs played back on the smartphones of the musicians and selected audience members.

Throughout the piece, the orchestra emulates the sounds of birds, the wind, and the ocean. Tan’s piece honors both the mankind’s desire to communicate with nature and optimism for the future.

“Birds, as Da Vinci said, are a reflection of our future, the mirror of our soul, and the mirror of our today and tomorrow.”

‘Shaman’ of sound

To be one of the shamans in his village in Central China’s Hunan Province has long been Tan’s dream during his childhood.

“They can see all the spirits of life; they can see the wind, talk to the birds, hear stone talking to leaves, and the violin can even talk to the river,” he told the Global Times, adding that being a shaman means you can always be treated with a bowl of noodles after each “performance,” a great thing for any young boy living in rural areas back then.

The ghost operas that inspired him in some of his works often “have three acts: You welcome the ghost, you entertain the ghost, and you leave with the ghost.” In Buddhist terms, it is about “the last life, our present life and the next life.” Ghost operas are a mix of Taoism, Buddhism and folk beliefs, which mostly have to do with nature worship; and in the rural area where Tan grew up, they are mediated by people in touch with the spiritual world.

Nature is always part of our symphony as sound and music of these ceremonies always remind Tan of “where I came from.”

“I always want to compose for the China National Symphony Orchestra a great field with all kinds of natural sound. Classic music is so absorbing as it bridges the ancient past and the future,” said Tan.

His music does emerge from his experiences with nature, from the ghost stories, prayers and village shamans of his youth. One of his most striking pieces, a multimedia event for cello, video and orchestra, called The Map, was actually performed in Xiangxi, or western Hunan Province, where Tan once met a shaman known as “the stone man” who could talk to the wind and the clouds.

When composing folk songs, Tan becomes that village musician, playing on anything he can find: a pot as a drum, even farm tools. His gift for improvisation and making music out of anything at hand is still evident in much of his works. Bowls of water, sheets of rice paper, rocks, stones and anything can be used to express Tan’s musical imagination.

“The sound of nature always attracted me to be a musician. Like when I was a child, all those shamans attracted me. I want to be a shaman of the future. I want to be a shaman of sound,” he said.

Dialogue with Beethoven

In 1973, the Philadelphia Orchestra completed a historic tour performance to China, the first by a US orchestra. The music they played during the trip was heard not just by thousands of audience members in Beijing, but millions of people across the country through radio broadcasts on village loudspeakers.

Among them was a 16-year-old boy working in the rice fields in Hunan Province. One day in 1973, he heard beautiful but strange music filtering across the fields from a loudspeaker – a broadcast of the Philadelphia Orchestra playing in Beijing. The teenager paused in his work as they played Beethoven’s Fifth. That boy was Tan Dun.

“The symphony was like a silver light, emitting the sound of the future,” recalled Tan, noting that it was the first time he had heard about a “symphony orchestra.”

At that time, Tan thought Beethoven as a shaman too, “a foreign shaman.” “I didn’t know him as a great composer. So I thought the symphony must have a bigger stage than the ghost ceremonies. I must learn it,” he said, noting that he made up his mind to learn about the thing called symphony.

Aiming for that, he had to pass the entrance examination of the Central Conservatory of Music, China’s best music institute. The competition was fierce, but he was accepted. He said he was always lucky to meet good teachers “who advised him to head in the correct direction and establish clear goals.” Tan then flew to New York to further study music. Twenty years after hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra in the field, he received an invitation from the Philadelphia Orchestra itself to join it.

‘One home’

In September 2024, 200 years after the deaf Beethoven conducted the premiere of his Ninth Symphony, Tan conducted in Bonn, Beethoven’s hometown, his commissioned work Choral Concerto: Nine, in which he rediscovers Beethoven’s music in the sounds of modern urban life.

He expanded Nine into three movements, respectively titled Nine, Wine, and Time (Ode to Peace), which juxtapose Chinese texts alongside the words of Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller.

“These three words, Nine, Wine and Time… in Chinese they are all ‘jiu,'” wrote Tan, who also used poetry from two great Chinese poets Qu Yuan and Li Bai.

In Tan’s eyes, he is not a great musician at all, but just a farmer.

“The same as Beethoven, who came to the world with the air he breathed and the soil he stood upon, I still remember I came from that village in Hunan, hoping to be a music wizard,” he said, noting that what he learned from music masters was no different from what he learned from local shamans in Hunan. Musicians actually have to be loyal to the land they live in.

“A Bing [a blind Chinese musician specializing in the erhu and pipa] is no different from Paganini. For me, the world is one home,” as music has the magic to “connect people, the past and the future.”

The ancestors of the Chinese today invented many instruments. Behind every instrument, there is a story. If the instruments are forgotten, then the story goes untold and history stops.

“That’s why I thought it’s always very important to bring ancient instruments to life and play ancient music,” said Tan, who once shared the stage with young Chinese suona player Liu Wenwen to play the suona piece Hundreds of Birds Worshiping the Phoenix in recent tours.

As the nation’s first student in the doctoral program of suona at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Liu, a 13th-generation suona player, is also one of the most active young players in China.

In Tan’s mind, music is like a flowing river and a continuous, ever-evolving force that transcends time. Just as a river never stops moving, music flows from generation to generation, carrying the contributions of countless musicians across eras.

The world is changing, so “we always need to discover new languages to communicate with future young people” and express for them what they want, what they dream and what they hope for.

“The Beijing Music Festival, over nearly 30 years, has carried stories, emotions and historical contexts, acting as a bridge between the past and the present, the East and the West. Many great musicians from around the world perform during the festival. Just like a river connecting different lands and people, the festival connects generations of cultures,” Tan says.

After all, it is a stage for sharing music with the world.

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SOURCE Global Times

Technology

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung Announces Physical AI Vision at San Francisco AI Summit

Published

21 minutes ago

July 25, 2026

Hyundai Motor Group shares roadmap for realizing its Physical AI vision and collaboration strategy with global tech leaders at the San Francisco AI SummitExecutive Chair Euisun Chung presented, “Hyundai Motor Group is evolving beyond the traditional boundaries of automotive manufacturing to become a Physical AI solution company,” adding, “The ultimate Physical AI vision we pursue is the realization of integrated intelligence at the city level”The Group to leverage manufacturing competitiveness and leading robotics capabilities centered on Boston Dynamics, while establishing a data flywheel system connecting real-world operational data with continuous AI model advancementThe Group to leverage strategic partnerships with global technology leaders, including NVIDIA and Waymo, as well as Boston Dynamics’ strategic partnership with Google DeepMindThe Group to collaborate with NVIDIA to develop a Robot Reference Platform that combines Hyundai Motor Group’s and NVIDIA’s Physical AI capabilities

… The initiative to support Korea’s Physical AI industry through an open ecosystem

The Group to cultivate strategic domestic hubs through investments in Saemangeum AI Valley and future advanced industries in Korea’s Yeongnam region

SAN FRANCISCO, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) Executive Chair Euisun Chung today outlined the Group’s vision and strategy for Physical AI at the San Francisco AI Summit held in San Francisco, California.

The event brought together approximately 150 attendees, including Executive Chair Chung, business leaders from major Korean companies, executives from leading U.S. technology firms, startup representatives and students.

At the summit, Executive Chair Chung presented the Group’s roadmap for advancing Physical AI and outlined strategic collaboration plans with global technology leaders.

“Hyundai Motor Group is evolving beyond the traditional boundaries of automotive manufacturing by expanding into autonomous driving, robotics and AI Defined Factories, accelerating our transformation into a Physical AI solution company.” — Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung

Accelerating the Transition to a Physical AI Solution Company

Hyundai Motor Group’s Physical AI vision extends beyond intelligent devices such as vehicles and robots to intelligent spaces, including AI factories where AI seamlessly connects and optimizes entire operations. Ultimately, the Group envisions integrated intelligence at the city level, where urban infrastructure is organically connected and operated through AI.

A key differentiator for the Group is its ability to create a data flywheel that continuously connects real-world operations with AI advancement. Drawing on extensive experience in large-scale manufacturing, mobility, robotics and service operations, the Group is positioned to deploy, refine and scale Physical AI technologies in real industrial environments.

Executive Chair Chung also outlined strategic partnerships with leading technology companies, including NVIDIA and Waymo, as well as Boston Dynamics’ strategic partnership with Google DeepMind, to further advance Physical AI capabilities.

By combining Hyundai Motor Group’s manufacturing competitiveness, mobility and robotics technologies and extensive operational data with the AI infrastructure and algorithm capabilities of global technology leaders, the Group aims to help foster a new innovation ecosystem for the Physical AI era.

Executive Chair Chung also introduced initiatives designed to support the growth of Korea’s robotics and AI ecosystem, including the development of a Robot Reference Platform with NVIDIA that combines Hyundai Motor Group’s and NVIDIA’s Physical AI capabilities, as well as investments in initiatives such as the Saemangeum AI Valley.

Physical AI Vision: From Intelligent Devices to Integrated Intelligence at the City Level

During the summit, Executive Chair Chung presented Hyundai Motor Group’s Physical AI vision.

“The ultimate Physical AI vision Hyundai Motor Group pursues begins with intelligent devices such as vehicles and robots, expands to intelligent spaces such as AI factories, and ultimately realizes integrated intelligence at the city level, where urban infrastructure is seamlessly connected and operated.” — Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung

The Group’s vision begins with intelligent devices, where AI capabilities enhance vehicles and robots. It then expands to intelligent spaces, including AI factories where AI autonomously integrates logistics, production and quality management across entire operations.

Ultimately, Hyundai Motor Group envisions city-level intelligence, where critical infrastructure and assets — including energy, mobility and robotics systems — are connected and optimized in real time.

Executive Chair Chung also highlighted the Group’s key strengths in realizing its Physical AI vision:

World-class manufacturing competitiveness: Hyundai Motor Group has built extensive expertise through decades of operating global manufacturing facilities, managing quality systems and optimizing supply chains. This foundation enables the Group to apply AI technologies to products, processes and services while rapidly validating and scaling innovations in real-world environments.Leading robotics capabilities: Hyundai Motor Group has established robotics as a key pillar of its future business portfolio. Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot Spot®, logistics robot Stretch®, and Hyundai Motor Group Robotics LAB’s next-generation mobile robot platform MobED are recognized for combining technological competitiveness with real-world applicability.

In particular, the humanoid robot Atlas® is emerging as a representative example of Physical AI, supporting and collaborating with people across manufacturing, logistics and mobility environments.

Establishing a data flywheel system: Hyundai Motor Group is establishing a data flywheel system that leverages data generated across manufacturing operations, vehicles, logistics systems and robotics demonstrations to continuously advance AI models. Enhanced algorithms are then reapplied to real-world operations, creating a virtuous cycle that improves performance and strengthens Physical AI capabilities.

Accelerating the Future of Physical AI Through Partnerships with Global Tech Leaders

Executive Chair Chung also outlined concrete initiatives to position Hyundai Motor Group as a leader in human-centered Physical AI through strategic collaborations with NVIDIA and Waymo, as well as Boston Dynamics’ strategic partnership with Google DeepMind.

“By combining Hyundai Motor Group’s strengths in manufacturing, robotics and data with the capabilities of global technology leaders, we can help create a new innovation ecosystem for the Physical AI era.” — Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung

NVIDIA – Advancing Physical AI infrastructure and talent development

Hyundai Motor Group is expanding collaboration with NVIDIA to strengthen Physical AI infrastructure and cultivate AI talent. Building on a supply agreement for 50,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs and a memorandum of understanding signed last year to advance Korea’s Physical AI capabilities, the Group is pursuing a range of initiatives, including the establishment of Hyundai Motor Group Robot Application Center, as well as various collaborations aimed at strengthening Korea’s Physical AI infrastructure and AI talent ecosystem, including the NVIDIA’s AI Technology Center.

In manufacturing, the Group is leveraging NVIDIA’s platform to create more sophisticated digital twins of production facilities, enhancing process design, operational optimization and validation efficiency. The collaboration also includes the integration of NVIDIA’s autonomous driving solutions, including automotive semiconductors, sensors and architecture, with Hyundai Motor Group vehicle platforms.

Waymo – Strengthening autonomous driving collaboration

Hyundai Motor Group continues to strengthen its strategic partnership with Waymo in the autonomous driving sector to support the development of a safe and innovative autonomous driving ecosystem. Autonomous driving vehicles require a wide range of specialized capabilities, including redundant systems for steering, braking, power and communications, dedicated features such as power-operated doors, as well as enhanced functional safety and cybersecurity technologies.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to produce IONIQ 5 vehicles with specific autonomous-ready modifications at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia.

Google DeepMind – Accelerating next-generation humanoid robotics

Boston Dynamics has established a strategic partnership with Google DeepMind to accelerate the development of next-generation humanoid robots. Advanced AI models and training systems are essential for robots to perform complex tasks in real-world environments and collaborate effectively with people. Through this partnership, Boston Dynamics robots are expected to achieve greater autonomy and adapt more effectively to complex operating environments.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to establish a robot production facility in the U.S. with an annual capacity of up to 30,000 units by 2028. The Atlas humanoid robot will first be deployed at production facilities including HMGMA before broader deployment is expanded through phased validation.

Building an Open Ecosystem Through the Robot Reference Platform and Continued Investment in Korea’s Physical AI Future

Executive Chair Chung also outlined initiatives aimed at supporting the growth of Korea’s Physical AI ecosystem through open collaboration and continued investment.

“The outcomes of collaboration with global technology leaders should contribute to the growth of Korea’s Physical AI industry. To that end, Hyundai Motor Group plans to foster an open ecosystem that supports innovation in robotics and AI technologies.” — Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung

Key initiatives to build an open ecosystem for robotics and AI innovation include:

Robot Reference Platform: Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA are collaborating to develop a Robot Reference Platform that combines Hyundai Motor Group’s and NVIDIA’s Physical AI capabilities.

The platform will provide research robot models to universities, research institutes and startups, helping foster an open ecosystem that supports technological innovation and the development of Physical AI talent while contributing to the broader growth of Korea’s robotics and AI industries.

Supporting universities, research institutes and startups: The Robot Reference Platform is expected to provide universities, research institutes and startups with a standardized hardware and software environment, enabling them to more easily develop and validate Physical AI technologies. The initiative aims to help address challenges faced by organizations with innovative ideas but limited access to commercialization opportunities and validation infrastructure.

Hyundai Motor Group is also continuing large-scale investments aimed at driving the next leap forward in Korea’s industrial and technology ecosystem. Continued investments in Korea’s industrial and technology ecosystem include:

Saemangeum AI Valley: In the Saemangeum region of Jeonbuk State, the Group is developing Saemangeum AI Valley, which includes an approximate KRW 9 trillion investment in AI data centers, robotics manufacturing clusters, electrolyzer plants and AI hydrogen city infrastructure.

In particular, the robotics manufacturing cluster will serve not only as a production base for the Group’s own robotics products, but also as a robotics foundry that provides manufacturing services for small and medium-sized enterprises that lack manufacturing expertise.

Advanced industrial hubs in the Yeongnam region: Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest a total of KRW 42 trillion over the next decade to foster advanced industrial hubs focused on AI-driven manufacturing, future aerospace industries and sustainable energy infrastructure.

Through these initiatives, Hyundai Motor Group aims to strengthen key foundations for the Physical AI era, including data and energy infrastructure, robotics production capabilities and real-world validation capabilities. The Group also expects these investments to contribute to enhanced industrial competitiveness, balanced regional development, job creation and broader economic vitality in Korea.

About Hyundai Motor Group

Hyundai Motor Group is a global enterprise that has created a value chain based on mobility, steel, and construction, as well as logistics, finance, IT, and service. With about 250,000 employees worldwide, the Group’s mobility brands include Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. Armed with creative thinking, cooperative communication, and the will to take on any challenges, we strive to create a better future for all.

More information about Hyundai Motor Group can be found at: http://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com or Newsroom: Media Hub by Hyundai, Kia Global Newsroom, Genesis Newsroom

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SOURCE Hyundai Motor Company

Technology

Tencent Brings Together AI and Games to Help Preserve and Share Cultural Heritage of New UNESCO Site in Jingdezhen

Published

1 hour ago

July 25, 2026

Tencent applies AI and games to protect, reconstruct, and promote one of the world’s oldest porcelain traditions at newly inscribed UNESCO siteDigital initiatives create a new model for technology-driven heritage preservation globally using a multimodal AI dataset, AI-assisted artifact restoration, and interactive virtual experiences

SHENZHEN, China, July 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent (00700.HK) today announced the launch of Digital Jingdezhen: Porcelain Craft Adventure, an AI-powered cultural heritage game that enables users to explore Jingdezhen’s porcelain-making traditions and experience traditional craft techniques through interactive play. The launch coincides with the inscription of the Jingdezhen Handicraft Porcelain Industry Sites on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage List.

Digital Jingdezhen is part of a broader cultural innovation initiative that applies Tencent’s AI and game technologies. Guided by Tencent’s vision of “Tech for Good”, the initiative leverages digital preservation to keep Jingdezhen’s thousand-year-old porcelain culture alive and relevant today, creating a living heritage with sustainable value and broad public engagement, and building a model that could be carried to heritage sites around the world.

Digital Preservation: Restoring and Unlocking Heritage with AI

Jingdezhen has a thousand years of living heritage; centuries of tradition are still active in its kilns today. To preserve this legacy, a cornerstone of the project was the Jingdezhen Porcelain Cultural Heritage Multimodal AI Dataset.

Over decades, historical records, heritage information, and craft specifications have accumulated into a massive volume of data. Tencent applied Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), and knowledge graph technologies to transform these dispersed materials into structured digital resources that can be analyzed, extracted, verified, and traced back to their original sources.

The dataset contains more than 30,000 documentary records, over 5,000 ceramic gene specimens, and data on nearly 1,000 representative ceramic artifacts in collections worldwide. It provides a digital foundation for cultural research, exhibition development, public interpretation and AI-powered heritage applications.

Building on this foundation, Tencent has developed a range of industry- and public-facing applications, including the Jingdezhen Ancient Ceramics Gene Database, the World Ceramics Interactive Map, and the Digital Jingdezhen AI Companion, providing researchers, heritage professionals, and the public with innovative AI-powered tools to explore and understand porcelain heritage.

Digital Activation: Bringing Jingdezhen’s Porcelain Heritage to Life Through AI and Games

To bring the public closer to Jingdezhen and its porcelain-making traditions, Digital Jingdezhen: Porcelain Craft Adventure utilizes AI-assisted Procedural Content Generation (PCG) to create the first large-scale digital recreation of the city’s five major porcelain heritage sites and historical production scenes. By rapidly mapping out town layouts and automatically generating architectural structures, decorative elements, and pedestrians, the technology brings Jingdezhen’s historic townscape back to life in the digital world.

The game also features high-quality AI digital humans built on large language models and the Jingdezhen Porcelain Cultural Heritage Multimodal AI Dataset. Through AI voice-driven facial expressions and Tencent Games’ proprietary animation technology, it creates warm, human-centered interactive experiences that make historical knowledge tangible and relatable. At the same time, AI-powered 3D generation allows users to quickly transform an uploaded image into a 3D porcelain form, lowering the barrier to participation and enabling anyone to turn creative inspiration into tangible ceramic forms in the digital space.

Continuing Heritage: Mobilizing the Community

Ensuring the longevity of Jingdezhen’s legacy requires active public participation. Tencent developed the Digital Heritage Guardian (Jingdezhen), a volunteer program built within the Weixin ecosystem. The program enables the public to support the upkeep and stewardship of physical heritage sites, creating a practical channel for community involvement in heritage protection.

“Our work in Jingdezhen is a testament to how ‘AI for Good’ can breathe new life into ancient traditions,” said Zhan Shu, Head of Digital Culture Lab, Tencent. “Working alongside dedicated heritage experts, we have contributed our capabilities in AI and digital technologies to unlock decades of dormant archives for this incredible new UNESCO site. We are proud to help bridge the gap between the thousand-year porcelain heritage and the digital era, creating new ways for the global public to connect with Jingdezhen’s living history, and a model for heritage sites worldwide.”

For media queries, please contact: gc@tencent.com

About Tencent

Tencent is a global technology and entertainment company focused on creating connections and experiences that matter. Founded in 1998, Tencent is driven by its mission to create “Value for Users” and apply “Tech for Good.”

Tencent’s communication and social services connect more than one billion people around the world, helping them to keep in touch with friends and family, access transportation, pay for daily necessities, and even be entertained. Tencent also develops and publishes some of the world’s most popular video games and other high-quality digital content, delivering rich and immersive interactive entertainment experiences. Tencent also offers a range of services such as cloud computing and other enterprise services to support our clients’ digital transformation and business growth. Headquartered in Shenzhen, Tencent has been listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong since June 2004.

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SOURCE Tencent