The Whiffenpoofs a cappella choir of Yale University took the stage in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Monday, joining Nankai University's choir for a memorable concert.
Alongside classics such as "Nature Boy" and "Moondance," the 14-member Whiffenpoofs also sang three well-known Chinese folk and pop songs to better connect with the local audience.
Bridging language and culture through music, the two university choirs closed the show with a moving rendition of the Chinese classic "Let the World Be Filled with Love."
"It's been really cool. I mean, we did so much research going into the trip. I actually took a Chinese class in middle school. So, I learned a bit Chinese in 7th grade. So, I feel like I've been wanting to actually see what it's like here for a long time. And it's cool that our tour started in the U.S. because we were able to see just immediately how different the culture is," said Lukas, a member of the Whiffenpoofs.
"We are really trying to deliver that kind of energy, and you get from singing together with people that you really enjoy their company. We picked these three songs, very traditional folk song Jasmine flower. We really picked those songs to build a connection there and make sure that we can all have this experience all together," said Eunice, another member.
The performance was part of a cultural exchange tour organized by the Beijing Enlai Foundation. Running from March 19 to April 3, the tour brings the Whiffenpoofs to universities and choirs across Chongqing and Chengdu Cities and the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China, and Tianjin and Beijing in north China, using songs as a bridge to foster people-to-people ties between China and the U.S.
The Whiffenpoofs is the world's most renowned and historic collegiate a cappella group, spearheading and innovating a cappella music since 1909. The group has performed across the U.S. and around the world, captivating audiences with a diverse repertoire of a cappella music.
Yale University choir gives performance, bridges cultural divide in north China's Tianjin
The recent 2026 Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) Annual Conference in Beijing has impressed international guests with its focus on deeper integration of technological and industrial innovation, highlighting how China's innovative advances are reshaping daily life.
The five-day forum, themed "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation," wrapped up in Chinese capital on Sunday after bringing together more than 1,000 participants from over 100 countries and regions around the world.
More than 560 cutting-edge achievements were unveiled at the event, ranging from embodied intelligent robots and brain-computer interfaces to breakthroughs in quantum applications and 6G research and development.
The venue for the forum also showcased a number of these innovative creations to visitors, who were able to enjoy a fresh cup of coffee prepared by a humanoid barista, as well as be throughly entertained by robots performing dances or even playing piano.
Given the presence of these advanced humanoid robots, international participants shared the common view that innovation is no longer confined to laboratories but is now permeating every aspect of daily life.
"The deepest impression is actually to see how much AI is across everywhere," said Anders Karlsson, vice president of Elsevier, a global leader providing advanced information and decision support to accelerate progress in science and healthcare worldwide.
"The Zhongguancun Forum has become a very international window on innovation. We can find out annually how innovation is driving [and a key] component of growth of this wonderful country," said Vincenzo Lipardi, president and co-founder of SPICI, an Italian company assisting businesses and startups with strategic consulting services.
"As a scientist and as a worker of the United Nations system, I'm really pleased to see integration of science, technology and sustainability," said Shahbaz Khan, director of the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia.
One of the forum's key themes was around opening up and striving for greater cooperation, which demonstrated to the wider world that China's innovation aims to break down barriers and share opportunities, so as to enable the global community to advance together.
"It's my first time attending the forum. And I'm very surprised that you have a very high level of innovation. China is open to ideas. Openness is the way to make innovations," said Prof. Hussein Sherief, a member of the International Committee for Scientific and Technical Data (CODATA).
Int'l guests hail integration of technology, innovation at Beijing forum
