Blue Sky Choir of the Confucius Institute of Betong Municipality

The Blue Sky Choir was established on February 12, 2012. Since its establishment, it has been actively participating in festivals and large-scale cultural events in Betong and nearby areas. The choir is well-known in neighboring countries such as Malaysia, and has been continuously invited by various parties to hold cultural exchange activities, which are well received by the public.

The Blue Sky Choir is open to people from all walks of life, with no restrictions on professions or ages. It recruits people in Betong and nearby areas who are interested in Chinese songs and culture, to sing Chinese songs together and promote Chinese culture.

In the daily teaching activities of the choir, teachers select Chinese songs that are close to the actual life and fit the aesthetic taste of the members, and explain the meaning of the lyrics in detail. Then they help the members fully understand the artistic conception of the songs, comprehend the connotations of the songs, and feel the charm of Chinese culture.

Besides, the Confucius Institute of Betong Municipality also invited experts to hold lectures and training courses to explain the correct breathing method, resonance method, articulation skills of singing and other musical knowledge, to improve the singing skills of the members.

In addition to teaching activities, the Blue Sky Choir also actively promotes folk cultural exchanges, often with choirs from other parts of Thailand and Malaysia.

For example, the Blue Sky Choir and the choir of Chinwoo Athletic Association Selangor & KL of Malaysia jointly held the "Singing the Golden Autumn and Building New Glory Together" chorus exchange gala. The Blue Sky Choir jointly held the "Promote Culture, Praise Harmony" chorus exchange gala with the choir of Malaysia Xuezhi Peng Clan Association. The Blue Sky Choir and the Malaysian Golden Music Training Center jointly held a singing competition, jointly held a singing exchange gala with the Malaysian Baishafu Song and Dance Center, and jointly held a singing exchange gala with the choir of Malaysian Kedah Buddhist Association.

These exchange activities utilize Chinese songs as the carrier, showcasing the singing proficiency and musical quality of the choir, providing opportunities for the in-depth understanding of Chinese culture and promoting exchanges and cooperation.

With its increasing popularity, the Blue Sky Choir has been invited to perform by more celebrations, galas and large-scale cultural events. At the 2017 "Beautiful Moon and Lantern Festival" Gala, the choir sang a song Country, which was soul-stirring and made the audience deeply moved.

At the 13th anniversary of the founding of the Confucius Institute of Betong Municipality, a cultural gala commenced with the magnificent performance of the "Blue Sky Choir" singing the song China, which was very touching and well received by the audience. At the 2019 Betong Moon Festival Gala, the choir sang a song Blooming Flowers and Full Moon Night, which aroused the audience's infinite homesickness. At the 2020 Spring Festival Gala held by the Betong City Government, the choir sang the Blessings and Cheers to Friendship. The melodious singing aroused a warm response from the audience.

The performance of the Blue Sky Choir is an important channel for the Confucius Institute of Betong Municipality to spread Chinese culture. The members love Chinese songs very much. In order to participate in learning songs , some members drive for nearly an hour every week, rain or shine.

Xia Jinde, deputy head of the Blue Sky Choir, said: "Music has no borders. What they sing is Chinese songs, as well as their love to China." The members said that they would continue to "learn and sing Chinese happily". And they will use musical notes to promote more in-depth cultural and artistic exchanges between the Chinese and Thai people.

The "Blue Sky Choir" uses Chinese songs as a medium to actively promote folk exchanges. While its influence has been continuously improved, it has also stimulated the enthusiasm of local people to learn Chinese. It has become a shining business card for the Chinese language promotion and cultural exchange of the Confucius Institute of Betong Municipality.