BEIJING, Aug. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The International Piano Competition held in Nice, the fifth largest city in France has for the first time held preliminary rounds in China. The final for the competition has been held in the town of Bailu, near Pengzhou city, Sichuan Province.

The opening concert featured piano maestro Liu Shikun playing both Chinese and western classics like Chopin’s nocturnes and Chinese piano concerto "Yellow River". Musicians from the National Opera House of France played violin quartets and cello solos.

While the opening concert proved a feast for the audience, the China finals were also filled with suspense, with 30 out of 300 strong contestants finally getting tickets for the final in Nice this coming November. Due to the increasing number of piano learners in China in recent years, the quota given to Chinese contestants for Nice’s final went up from 15 to 30.

The week long music festival honoring the competition turned the quiet town of Bailu into a paradise for music lovers. Activities like music galas, lessons, and master classes really made music part of the lives of the locals.

(Source: cntv.cn)