Tsinghua music camp forges bonds

"I joined this music camp because of him. He's not just teaching us how to play better. He's showing us how music can connect and deliver emotion," says 16-year-old Wong Ching-ho from Hong Kong, who has been playing violin since he was 3.

Wong adds that he visited Beijing and Shanghai as a tourist when he was a child. This time, he stayed in Beijing, sharing a dorm with other teenagers, rehearsing and visiting popular sites around the capital.

"It's more than just music that we created together. I made new friends and we will keep in touch," he says.

Angela Pei Tsz-hin, 13, is also a violinist from Hong Kong. Speaking fluent Mandarin, she says that she grew up speaking both Cantonese and Mandarin, as her father is from Tangshan in Hebei province.

"I often travel back to the Chinese mainland, but this is the first time I've been part of the music camp, living and playing music with people of my age," says Angela.

"When we first came together, there were moments of discord," she continues. "But through practice and encouragement from Lyu, and from one another, we've learned to harmonize musically. When we stepped on the stage, we all felt proud since we had done something great together."