Chinese bells' orchestra

A chime bells orchestra from central China will give five performances in the Netherlands.

A chime bells orchestra from central China's Hubei Province will give five performances in the Netherlands and Belgium from September 25 to October 15.

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The orchestra was founded in the 1980s by the Hubei Province Museum and will give the performances with a set of 10-tonne chime bells from the tomb of Duke Zeng, a prince in Chinese history's Warring States period (475-221 B.C.).

Wan Quanwen, vice curator of the museum, said the performances are an important part of the music festivals held in the two countries, during which more than 100 pieces of ancient musical instruments will also be displayed to European visitors.

The orchestra will play the music edited or rewritten from ancient Chinese music and folk songs, which recorded the lives of different classes of society, Wan said.

The orchestra has more than 20 members and they have given performances in Japan, Luxemburg, Singapore, United States, Germany, France, Hong Kong and Taiwan, receiving warmest welcomes from the audiences there.