A silk road of sound: Music brings hearts and cultures together

The Second Silk Way Star International Music Competition , co-hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and the Television and Radio Complex of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, premiered in early September and is now airing across CMG's multimedia platforms.

As a major international cultural exchange project, this year's competition brings together singers from 12 countries – China, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Türkiye, Vietnam, South Africa, Russia, Serbia, Brazil and New Zealand – to the stage in Yiwu, in eastern China's Zhejiang Province.

They will compete for the grand title over 10 rounds while sharing the sounds and stories of their home countries.

Through a series of songs, the performers share music shaped by their own experiences and cultural roots, setting the stage for a journey across borders.

This musical celebration has found a fitting home in Yiwu, a city known for its vibrant daily life and global connections.

Products made in Yiwu reach markets worldwide, and now the city is sending something different out into the world: not just goods, but melodies, stories and voices from many cultures.

In the universal language of music, people connect across borders and beyond language. (All photos via CMG)