Chinese folk singer Wang Hongwei gave a concert in Vienna Saturday
evening, drawing warm applause from the audience.
Wang was the first Chinese singer to stage a concert of west Chinese folk
songs at Vienna's Golden Hall and his performance held a 2,000-strong audience
captive for more than two hours.
Born in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Wang sang with deep emotion
that reflected his long experience and good grasp of the customs and culture of
western China.
Some traditional Chinese folk musical instruments were also played during the
concert including flute, erhu, matouqin, lute, dutar and tanbur which were new
and fresh to many Westerners.
An Austrian woman in the audience, Usrar Elisabeth, praised Wang as "a great
singer with a very beautiful voice." She said although she could not understand
the content of the songs, she could "feel the beauty of the music."
Earning a reputation as "The New King of of West Chinese Folk Songs," Wang
has won many awards in China and been invited to perform in Japan and Southeast
Asian countries.