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Music Monks

While Chinese Gongfu Monks being world-famous today, little is known about the enduring and mysterious existence of its Music Monks.

It is tough for Shi Yuande, conductor of Great Xiangguo Temple Buddhist Orchestra, to face his oncoming retirement. He loves the orchestra and still has wishes unfulfilled.

Being one of the world's most prominent cultural and musical institutions a thousand years ago , Great Xiangguo temple has preserved the secret root of Chinese music through incredibly thin lines. Would the young disciples be align with their master and pass the torches on?

The documentary maps an emotional journey of faith, love and pain of the music monks. They share a piece of soul with us through their unique musical pieces. And the story is told for the first time.

The Buddhist music of the Great Xiangguo Temple,in its trials and tribulations, is testament to how amazingly resistant and fragile civilization can simultaneously be.

  • Qiaoli Wang
    Director
    Letters Alive, China Through My Eyes, Dneglu's Time
  • Luo Wen
    Director
    Beautiful Xijiang, Listen to My Voice
  • Qiaoli Wang
    Writer
  • Luo Wen
    Writer
  • Qiaoli Wang
    Producer
  • Shi Yuande
    Key Cast
    "Shi Yuande"
  • Shi Xinguang
    Key Cast
    "Shi Xinguang"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Feature
  • Genres:
    Music, religion, history, art, human interest
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    September 26, 2019
  • Country of Filming:
    China
  • Language:
    Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 4k
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 14th BFFE (Buddhist Film Festival Europe)
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    September 28, 2019
    Dutch Premier
    official selection
Distribution Information
  • New Salt Media
    Country: Netherlands
Director Biography - Qiaoli Wang, Luo Wen

Founder of Dutch New Salt Media. Graduated from the School of Literature in East China Normal University and the College of Arts and Sciences in Maastricht University, Qiaoli Wang is a senior international media practitioner, producer, as well as stage and documentary director. With previous journalistic experiences from Xinmin Weekly and ARD German Radio, she has been active in some of China's most influential TV cultural programs in recent years, such as Chinese Character Dictation Contest (CCTV1), China Through My Eyes(12-episode documentary on CCTV International) and the widely acclaimed Letters Alive (Tencent).

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