Silk road orchestra plays "Dreamland of Dunhuang " in Vienna

In China's Gansu Province, Dunhuang with its sculpted grottoes is a divine site both for Buddhists and students of art. Now a touring concert called "Dreamland of Dunhuang" has reached Austria.

A full house of 2,000 welcomed Vienna Golden Concert Hall's first feature performance by a Chinese ensemble. Under the baton of young Zhang Yi, the Silk Road Philharmonic made a musical exploration of mysterious Dunhuang.

30 foreign ambassadors to Austria and Vienna's vice mayor showed their appreciation with the rest of the audience.

Zhang Yi, conductor silk road philharmonic, said, "'Dreamland of Dunhuang' is a tribute to ancient Chinese culture. And foreign audiences have high expectations of such a concert. We'll try and continue to satisfy them, with more concerts like this in the future."

The immortal "Butterfly Lovers" has become a favorite melody for many western listeners. And violinist Lu Wei's interpretation won ten minutes of applause.

Tang Guoqiang, UN ambassador of China in Vienna, said, "They have great interest in Chinese music. The applause is the proof. With no language barrier, music serves as a best ambassador for cultural exchange."

The Vienna show is but one stop on the orchestra's European tour.