The sound of another time

In 1917, the Rockefeller Foundation, which was founded by business magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller in 1913, established Peking Union Medical College. When the auditorium was built, Rockefeller personally paid for the organ to be installed. On Sept 18, 1921, the organ was played to celebrate the opening of Peking Union Medical College.

The auditorium and the organ have witnessed many historical moments. In 1924, Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore celebrated his 63rd birthday at the auditorium with his Chinese friends, including renowned authors Xu Zhimo and Lin Huiyin.

In 1925, a memorial event was held at the auditorium to mark the death of revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925).

Famous Chinese writer Lin Haiyin (1919-2001) married Xia Chengying (1910-2002) on May 13, 1939, to the organ's majestic sound.

During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45), the auditorium and the organ fell into disrepair.

The organ's major parts are installed in a chamber at the northeast corner of the auditorium, and it produces sounds through a grille, behind which sit the swell shutters. The console is located at the foot of the auditorium, and the blower is placed in a space underneath the organ chamber, accessible only by crawling through a long, narrow passageway that can be reached from a corridor under the stage.

"I first saw the organ in 2018, and it looked very old and broken. It was just like a patient with no vital signs," recalls Wang Chen, president of Peking Union Medical College. "The organ is an important cultural relic, not only for the college, but also for the country. So we decided to repair it, and we were fully aware that it would be a very challenging project."