On the afternoon of May 28, the ethnic orchestral music The Road of Pear Dreams, a large-scale stage work creation funding project of the China National Arts Fund for 2026, produced by Hebei Song and Dance Theatre Performance Co., Ltd., was successfully performed at the Shangwen Auditorium of Shijiazhuang University. With magnificent movements, heartfelt melodies, and rich local characteristics, the work vividly depicts the arduous journey of the people in the pear-growing region forging ahead amid the tide of the times, winning enthusiastic acclaim from the audience.

Inspired by the decade-long development of the pear industry in Weixian County, Hebei Province, which drives rural revitalization, The Road of Pear Dreams takes pear blossoms as its core image and music as its medium. It pays tribute to the pioneers dedicated to the fields and profoundly embodies the spirit of perseverance—“striving hard one generation after another, pursuing a consistent vision to the end”. From sandy wastelands to vast pear orchards, from individual prosperity to comprehensive revitalization, The Road of Pear Dreams records the transformation of Weixian’s natural ecology and production methods, highlighting the immense power of agricultural and rural modernization in the new era.

The work features lyrics by Wang Xiaoling, a renowned military lyricist, and music composed by Zhao Zeming, a composer from the China National Traditional Orchestra. Structured into four movements—Land Under the Sun, Village Under the Moonlight, Harvest Smiles, and Enduring Pear Dreams—it uses concrete musical language, integrating Xingtai folk music elements with modern composing techniques, creating a rural revitalization soundscape that blends rustic charm with contemporary spirit. As an ethnic orchestral work themed on rural revitalization, it delves into the touching stories of grassroots strivers, honors ordinary heroes through art, and inspires cadres and the masses to pursue their undertakings with passion. It not only vividly showcases Weixian’s achievements in strengthening the county and enriching the people through the pear industry, but also infuses profound artistic vitality into the slogan “So Close, So Beautiful, Spend Your Weekends in Hebei”.

The auditorium was packed for the performance. The melodious tones of traditional Chinese instruments filled the venue and lingered on. Teachers and students in the audience were fully absorbed, resonating with the music and applauding warmly as the melodies rose and fell. Amid the graceful traditional Chinese music, the audience traced the development of the Yan Zhao land and witnessed the changes of the times; through each moving movement, they understood the dedication and perseverance of grassroots workers rooted in their posts; immersed in elegant art, they strengthened their love for the country and home, and reaffirmed their mission and responsibility.

This “Elegant Art on Campus” event is an important practice for our university to implement the aesthetic education program and improve the comprehensive education system focusing on moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor education. Moving forward, our university will continue to promote elegant art on campus, introduce more diverse and high-quality artistic resources, uphold the educational philosophy of cultivating people through aesthetics and culture, guide young students to improve their overall quality through artistic influence, consolidate their ideals through cultural nourishment, and help them grow into qualified talents of the new era with solid professional competence and profound humanistic feelings.

(Contributed by: Publicity Department, Communist Youth League Committee; Editor: Zhao Yibing, Li Da)