Wuxi's new tune: From heavy metal to melodies

Situated in China's Yangtze River Delta, Wuxi in Jiangsu is a city with more than 3,100 years of history. Blending the cultural traditions of Jiangnan (the region south of the Yangtze River) with modern industry and innovation, the city has long been known as the "Pearl of Taihu Lake" and the "Flourishing Land of Jiangnan".

Today, Wuxi is also positioning itself as a modern commercial and creative hub. Last year, China's "three-wheeled electric vehicles" became a sensation overseas, with a surge in orders. Much of that production comes from Xishan district in Wuxi, often called the "Electric Vehicle Capital of China", where one in every three electric vehicles nationwide is manufactured.

Similarly thriving are 10-trillion-yuan industrial clusters, including the internet of things and integrated circuits, which, along with traditional manufacturing, contribute to the glory of this century-old commercial city.

Wuxi is also a film dream factory. To improve the ecological environment and promote industrial transformation, a steel rolling mill was restructured into a film industry park that serves both tourism and film production. The park is home to over 1,000 film and television companies, with films produced here grossing over $1.8 billion in box-office revenue. It has produced high-quality Chinese films like The Wandering Earth and Creation of the Gods, and handled post-production for Hollywood films such as Captain America and Star Wars.

Music, however, remains central to Wuxi's identity. Last year, on the day it was honored as a UNESCO Creative City of Music, municipal troupes, social groups, and music enthusiasts created a 300-minute nonstop performance that attracted over 34,000 participants and 1.2 million livestream viewers.

Today, shared public stages can be found throughout the city's streets and neighborhoods. Weekly performances invite residents of all backgrounds to participate, turning music into an accessible and everyday cultural experience.

Following the opening ceremony, delegates joined a themed forum,"Music Makes Cities Better — Music Co-Creation and Urban Exchange". Representatives from Creative City of Music around the world, including Evian-les-Bains and Metz in France, Daegu in South Korea, Pesaro in Italy, Ipoh in Malaysia, Essaouira in Morocco, and Wuxi in China, shared experiences and discussed how music can support sustainable urban development.

Topics included innovation in the music industry, urban cultural communication and the future of music in the age of artificial intelligence. Participants also explored new ways for cities to cooperate through shared resources, joint cultural projects and global branding initiatives.

Three additional industry dialogues and site visits focusing on film production, smart mobility and cultural tourism were held later in the day.

Li Qiufeng, head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Wuxi Municipal Committee, said the city plans to continue using music as a bridge for international exchange and creativity as a core driver of urban growth.

The city will promote industries like film, entertainment, and musical instrument manufacturing, making culture an intrinsic driver of urban development. It will also focus on exchange and mutual learning, actively joining the creative city network and hosting events like "International Musicians in Wuxi", and showcase Chinese folk music on the international stage, he said.