Chinese tenors perform at Labor Day gala, celebrate Chinese youth

Chinese tenors Shi Yijie, Wang Kai and Cai Chengyu, and bass-baritone Hong Zhiguang, performed during the CCTV’s Labor Day gala on May 1, honoring ordinary hardworking people.

They performed a song titled China Is Youth, which is dedicated to young Chinese people — the vital force and the future of the country.

The four performers have gained a large fan base in the country, especially among young Chinese music lovers. For example, 33-year-old Hong, who graduated from the China Conservatory of Music and the Yale School of Music, rose to fame after appearing on a popular reality TV show, Super Vocal, in 2018 and later performed in Chinese operas, such as Marco Polo in 2020.

The song also marks China's Youth Day, which falls on May 4 every year, and the 100th anniversary of the founding of Communist Youth League of China.