Flute music recites, interweaving with the fragrance of ink. Yan Fei and Cui Binghui's "Memorial to Yueyang Tower" stuns Canadian students at the Chinese Spring Festival Gala.
(Toronto, China News Network - Reporters Feng Qiao, Lu Jie) The “2026 4th Canadian Student Chinese Spring Festival Gala”, hosted by the Zhou Enlai Foundation and co-organized by Shuangkuai Chinese, Gengyou Education, and Canadian Little Elephant Media, was grandly held on February 8th at the New Power Media Studio. Guests were numerous and the performances were dazzling. Another program was particularly distinctive: amidst the melodious tune of “Singing of Fishermen at Sunset” played on the bamboo flute by Councilor Cui Binghui, writer Yan Fei recited with his powerful and magnificent voice, "Being the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures." Three calligraphers simultaneously wielded their brushes on stage, creating cultural scrolls that transcended time and space. This was precisely the highlight of the Canadian Student Chinese Spring Festival Gala, "Yueyang Lou Ji", where flute melodies intertwined with recitation and the fragrance of ink.
On the stage of the 2026 Canada Chinese Spring Festival Gala, Richmond City Councilor Binghui Cui's bamboo flute performance blended perfectly with the recitation of Yan Fei, Chairman of the Canada-China Writers Association, as they jointly presented Fan Zhongyan's timeless masterpiece, "Yueyang Lou Ji."
Accompanied by melodious flute music and resonant recitation, calligrapher Li Rongzong and his esteemed disciples Xie Jinru and Xie Yongru wielded their brushes on the same stage, weaving together literary grace and the fragrance of ink into a harmonious composition.
This unique artistic presentation became the highlight of the entire evening. When the classic phrase “Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures” was recited with deep emotion, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.
01 Grand Stage Scene
In this cultural feast of the Canadian Chinese Student Spring Gala, a noteworthy performance was the cross-artistic interpretation of "Yueyang Tower."
On stage, Councilor Cui Binghui held a bamboo flute and played the melodious tune of the classic song "Fishermen's Evening Song." The flute's melody flowed like a clear spring, setting an elegant tone for the entire performance.
Accompanied by the sounds of a flute, Yan Fei, president of the Canadian Chinese Writers Association, began to recite "Yueyang Tower Record" by Fan Zhongyan, a writer from the Northern Song Dynasty, with a steady and powerful voice. His pronunciation was clear and resonant, and his delivery was full of emotion, vividly expressing the philosophy of optimism in the face of adversity and the patriotic sentiments within this ancient text.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the stage, calligrapher Li Rongzong and his two accomplished disciples, Xie Jinru and Xie Yongru, were showcasing their skills. Their brushes danced across the rice paper, writing famous lines from "Yueyang Tower" or creating calligraphy pieces that echoed the theme.
For the first time, the three art forms of music, recitation, and calligraphy intertwined and resonated on the same stage, creating a multi-layered cultural experience. As the performance reached its climax, Yan Fei recited the classic line, “Be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its pleasures.” Thunderous applause erupted, and many audience members stood to pay tribute.
02 Representative Spotlight
Stage flutist Cui Binghui is not only a Richmond Hill city councillor, but also a community representative who transformed from a tech elite.
Cui Binghui earned his bachelor's degree in computer science in 1996 and his master's degree in computer science in 2000. After immigrating to Canada in 2001, he held senior positions in government departments, Fortune Global 500 companies, and Canada's Big Five banks.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades, including “Best Contributor” and “Elite of the Elites.”
Councilor Cui Binghui
In 2020, Cui Binghui was elected as a trustee for Wards 1, 2, and 4 of the York Region District School Board in Richmond Hill. He has lived in the Jefferson neighborhood/Jefferson Forest community in Richmond Hill's Ward 4 for almost 12 years and has actively participated in and organized various community events, including charity events, sports competitions, and cultural exchanges.
As the newly elected councilor for Ward 4, Binghui Cui will represent the interests of all residents, listen to the voices of citizens, and work collaboratively with residents and staff to solve community issues. He has participated in numerous events within the Chinese community, such as the Canadian Chinese Writers Association's literary seminar, the Canadian Recitation Art Troupe's original poetry recital, and the Canadian Guizhou Hometown Association's election celebration.
03 The Writer's True Nature
Yan Fei, who collaborates with Cui Binghui, is an important figure in Canadian Chinese literature. Yan Fei, also known as Yan Daxia, currently resides in Toronto, Canada, and serves as the president of the Chinese Writers Association of Canada.
Yan Fei's literary journey began in college. At 16, he was admitted to the Bridge and Road Engineering program at Changsha Communications University (now Changsha University of Science and Technology). While attending school, he started writing and served as president of the literary society and student martial arts association, earning him the nickname “Yan the Great Hero.”
When Yan Fei was 20 years old, he was assigned to People's Communications Publishing House as an editor. At 24, he transferred to Hainan, where he served as a supplement editor for "Hainan Special Zone Daily," assistant editor-in-chief for "Hainan Youth Daily," and deputy editor-in-chief and executive editor for "Coconut City," a literary magazine of the Haikou Federation of Literary and Art Circles. He began his literary career in college, has a prolific body of work, and has won numerous awards.
Writer Yan Fei
After immigrating to Canada, Yan Fei worked in various fields including tourism and education and training. Concurrently, he continuously participated in cultural association activities and held literary lectures. Later, he took the helm of the Canadian Chinese Writers Association.
Yan Fei's works are rich and diverse, including the documentary literature "Glory and Sin," the Hainan Dream Trilogy "No Dream in Hainan," "Dream Startled in Hainan," and "Seeking Dreams in Hainan," the novel "The Tribulation: A Woman's Glory and Shame," and the essay collection "Yan Fei's Dream Whispers." His trilogy of ancient-style long poems, "Ode to Four Beauties of the Same Class," "Ode to the Dawn of Honglou," and "Ode to the Jade Herons of the Literary World," has been widely acclaimed.
In 2024, Yan Fei received the Cultural Heritage Award from Senator Michael Macdonald, and was recognized by Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. In March 2025, upon his re-election as President of the Chinese Canadian Writers Association, he received congratulatory messages from renowned writers such as Jiang Zilong, Jia Pingwa, and Han Shaogong.
04 Calligraphy Performance
Presented on the same stage that evening with the flute and recitation were the live calligraphy creations of calligrapher Li Rongzong and his two esteemed disciples, Xie Jinru and Xie Yongru.
Three calligraphers simultaneously wielded their brushes on stage, ink dancing on Xuan paper, transforming the literary mood of the "Yueyang Lou Ji" into visual art.
Their creative content has different focuses, with some writing original famous quotes and others composing poetry related to the theme of Yueyang Tower. Every stroke of the brush on paper embodies the thousand-year tradition of Chinese calligraphy, and the aroma of ink spreads across the stage with their brushstrokes.
This calligraphy live performance not only showcases the charm of traditional Chinese culture but also adds a visual dimension to the recitation of "Yueyang Lou Ji." While enjoying the music and recitation, the audience can witness the creation process of the calligraphy artwork firsthand, experiencing the multi-dimensional charm of Chinese culture.
The addition of calligraphy art made the entire performance more three-dimensional and rich, forming a multi-layered cultural experience of auditory, visual, and artistic conception, and becoming one of the most innovative programs of the evening.
As Cui Binghui's dizi melody slowly came to a halt, and Yan Fei's recitation reached its final syllable, the calligraphers' works also completed their last strokes.
The stage lights focused on three calligraphy works with ink still wet. The ink on the rice paper shimmered in the light, as if millennia of cultural heritage had found new soil overseas.
This performance is not just a simple combination of three art forms, but rather a collective expression of overseas Chinese people's profound understanding of Chinese culture. In the audience, faces of different ethnicities found resonance in this cultural feast.
