Editor’s Note: This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. In commemoration, this series of reports by Ningbo Evening News revisits some lesser-known wartime stories and friendships.

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. To commemorate this special moment, the event “Experience China: A Symphony of Stories on China-U.S. People to People Friendship” was held at the Chinese Embassy in the United States on the evening of August 27 (U.S. EDT).

The event was co-hosted by the State Council Information Office of the People’ s Republic of China, the Chinese Embassy in the United States, and Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in New York. It was organized by the China Intercontinental Communication Center (CICC) and the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation, with support from various provinces and cities in China, and featured the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra as accompanist. Attendees included Xie Feng (12th Chinese Ambassador to the United States), Jeffrey Ballard Greene (Chairman of the Sino-American Aviation Heritage Foundation), as well as political leaders and representatives from both countries.

In his speech, Ambassador Xie noted that the peoples of China and the United States fought side by side against fascism for peace and justice. “Let us pay tribute to history, and remember the vital contribution made by the main Eastern battlefield; let us pay tribute to friendship, and cherish the inseparable bond formed between our people in the flames of war; let us pay tribute to the future, and build mighty momentum for people-to-people exchanges. The hope of the China-U.S. relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in our societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels. Let’s encourage and support our people in continuing to cultivate goodwill, and interact and collaborate with each other, translate their aspiration for a better life into joint action,” he remarked.

The Symphony of Stories adopted an innovative format of “symphonic performance + immersive narration,” with live accompaniment by the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. Guests from Quzhou in Zhejiang Province, Nanjing in Jiangsu Province, as well as from the United States, took the stage to recount shared histories of the China-U.S. wartime alliance, including the Doolittle Raid and the Great Rescue and the Flying Tigers’ support for China.

The event consisted of two main sections: a prologue exhibition and the central performance, progressively building up to evoke historical resonance. The exhibition－featuring carefully selected historical photos, documents, and video footage－vividly depicted the joint efforts of Chinese and American soldiers and civilians in the fight against fascism. It offered the audience a glimpse of the camaraderie forged in those turbulent years before they entered the main hall.

The central performance of symphonic music combined classic melodies with emblematic historical narratives to revive the precious memories of mutual support between the two peoples in times of war.

As a featured performing group, the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra－joined by performers from Guilin, Quzhou and other cities－presented a cross-time anthem of friendship with both technical excellence and emotional depth.

The orchestra carefully selected a repertoire that blended Western and Chinese classics, featuring works such as Antonín Dvořák’s American Quartet and Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings, alongside pieces rich in Chinese flavor, such as Chinese Sights and Sounds, The Broad Bean Song, and Jasmine Flower.

With music as its bond, the entire event interwove melodies and narratives to revive the shared memories of China and the United States fighting side by side. It further highlighted the unique role of music as a “universal language” in fostering mutual learning among civilizations.

During the storytelling session, heartfelt accounts of cross-border mutual aid struck a deep chord with the audience. Chinese and American guests took the stage together to recount moving episodes from the shared wartime history of the two nations, including the Doolittle Raid and Great Rescue in Quzhou, the Flying Tigers’ support in Guilin, humanitarian efforts during the Nanjing Massacre, and the stories of solidarity at the Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp Site.

Among the highlights, Tong Lijuan, Director of the Quzhou Doolittle Raid Memorial Hall, joined hands with Mr. and Mrs. Kantenberger, descendants of a Doolittle Raid pilot, to present a piece titled “Quzhou: A Lasting Home for the Doolittle Raiders.” Their heartfelt retelling brought to life the heroic deeds of the Chinese people who risked their lives to rescue American airmen during World War II. This humanitarianism and belief in peace transcended oceans and mountains, and stimulated the audience to deeply feel the enduring strength of China-U.S. solidarity.

The event concluded with all participants joining together in a chorus of “Auld Lang Syne,” leaving the entire audience profoundly moved.