Turning back the tapes of time

In a dimly lit theater, the crackle of an old cassette tape comes to life, and suddenly the 1980s campus folk music era isn't just a memory — it's a performance.

Singer-songwriter Xiao Ke's new musical, Campus Folk Songs, has opened at the Xiao Ke Theater, inviting audiences to retrace a time when mainland Chinese students discovered hits from Taiwan, strummed guitars on dorm rooftops, and fell in love with the sound of folk melodies. Premiering on June 6 and running until July 9 with weekend shows, the production celebrates a generation's youthful rebellion, tender romances, and the magic of music that once traveled across time and places.

The musical was inspired by a real-life story Xiao Ke heard during a trip to Xiamen, Fujian province, in 2025.

"I met an alumnus of Xiamen University," Xiao Ke recalls. "Hearing his story about songs, tapes, and students back in the 1980s felt like stepping into a time machine. It reminded me of my parents' youthful years in Fuzhou's song-and-dance troupe. So much has been lost, but music allows us to hold onto it."

Set in 1987, Campus Folk Songs follows Xiao Mu, a university student in Beijing, who falls in love with the hits of a Taiwan singer and traces the songs' origins, journeying from Beijing to Xiamen and discovering more melodies along the way.

Xiao Ke re-created the 1980s musical landscape with meticulous care, prioritizing melody over modern, rhythm-heavy production. The show blends 11 songs, including original compositions and reimagined classics. One standout, Wandering Child, written by Xiao Ke as a teenager, has been adapted to capture the bittersweet longing of people returning to the Chinese mainland from Taiwan. Another, Poetry, stitches together lines from the decade's most influential poets, echoing the fusion of literary and musical passions that defined the era.

Rehearsals themselves have been emotional. Cast members were moved to tears during renditions of Message Across the Sea, highlighting the enduring resonance of these melodies.

"At its heart, Campus Folk Songs is both homage and historical record," Xiao Ke says. "Through these stories, I preserve the spirit of a generation for a new audience. The actors may be decades younger than their characters, but with guidance, they inhabit a time when a tape carried not just music, but dreams, longing, and connection."