Lost in Translation: China

By Aki Sanjay

In a 2022 interview, Glasgow-born composer Edward McGuire recalls one of the earliest meetings of Chinese and Scottish musical traditions: New Chinese Music, a 1988 festival organized by the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra. Produced by Mike Newman, the show features several Chinese musicians who partnered with the BBC Orchestra, including McGuire’s close friend Tan Dun, who became the associate composer and conductor of the BBC orchestra for three years after the festival. McGuire fondly remembers the event, recalling the slowly emerging cultural crossovers between Scotland and China: “The very interesting thing is that he was translating some texts from John Cage, the Eastern-influenced American composer. He had also written, in Chinese, articles about John Cage. And those articles are the important ones…to bridge the philosophical gap between China and the West.”

This crossover has been double-sided; Yuqing Pang, writing for Historic Environment Scotland, recalls walking through Nanjing’s Shanxi Road Square, soundtracked to a chorus of 423 guzhengs playing Auld Lang Syne. The guzheng, a traditional plucked instrument, is foundational to traditional Chinese music — and yet the song echoing through the square as Ping watched was quintessentially Scottish. It was a “Scottish melody echoing around a Chinese cityscape,” Ping writes, “as hundreds of silk strings carried its tune into the spring air.” Music became a bridge between space, language, and culture, connecting people who live entirely different lives but manage, for the length of a song, to share the same emotion.

The extensive musical connection between China and Scotland is not, however, random. Traditional music in both Scotland and China is based on the pentatonic scale, a five note scale common to various types of folk music. Chinese traditional music is deeply rooted in the pentatonic scale; consequently, Chinese traditional instruments, such as the guzheng, can play the pentatonic scale easily. Performing Scottish folk songs on Chinese instruments — and vice versa — therefore feels natural. Auld Lang Syne is extremely popular across China, commonly performed at graduations, New Year ceremonies, and farewell parties.

Over the last thirty years, increased cross-cultural connection has manifested through a rise in festivals, concerts, and events dedicated to Chinese-Scottish music. In 2024, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival featured a Chinese music and dance troupe. Called ‘The Elegance and Charm of Art,’ the show hosted over 30 dancers and musicians from the Shanghai Yuguo Art Troupe, all between the ages of nine and 15. Donald Wilson, the former Lord Provost of Edinburgh, spoke at the opening ceremonies, praising the ability of the festival to “[show] the best in all cultures…both educate and entertain.” The same year, the Edinburgh Fringe also hosted the China-Britain Arts and Culture Festival, a showcase featuring several traditional Chinese instruments, including the sheng, a multi-reed mouth organ dating back to 1100 BCE, and the liuqin, a pear-shaped mandolin. Alongside a selection of traditional songs, the showcase also highlighted fusion pieces, such as a reimagined version of the theme from Phantom of the Opera, performed by a bamboo flute quartet. Many of the performing musicians had never played outside China before: “I had never played my instrument outside China,” shared fifteen-year old bamboo flautist Zoe Chenyang. “I felt very excited, it was magical. I want to introduce Chinese music to everyone.”

Music was not the only highlight of the festival. A collaboration between young Chinese dancers and students from the Gordon Dance School brought together classical Chinese dances with Scottish highland fusion. The event was a massive success, garnering a wide audience and offering a stage to young, upcoming performers. Organiser Jessica Huije, based at the Asian Association of Culture, Commerce, and Education in Europe, highlighted the importance of bringing “young artists” to the Fringe. As Huijie shares, the artists are “not just performers” — they build an essential bridge for cultural and artistic exchanges. Despite the distance, both literal and cultural, between Scotland and China, music and dance has historically been a unifying force. Similarities between the musical folk traditions of both countries have fostered consistent artistic conversation — a conversation both counties are eager to continue through festivals and concerts. Future events across Scotland are already planned, states Huijie, and will hopefully continue to expand.

So far, the musical crossovers between Scotland and China have largely been confined to traditional music; however, both countries have rich, thriving contemporary music scenes. Looking forward, hopefully events will begin to feature modern artists and performers to continue the historic connection between the two countries. One thing is for certain, though — if you’re ever visiting China, there’s a decent chance you’ll hear Auld Lang Syne, so keep your ears peeled!