Singer Jackson Wang from Hong Kong, China, performs at the Greater Bay Area Film Concert 2026 held at the Galaxy Arena in Macao on September 20, 2026. Photo: VCG

The annual Greater Bay Area (GBA) Film Concert hosted at the Galaxy Arena in Macao returned as scheduled.

When the stirring melody of Ode to Passion blended seamlessly into the heartfelt chorus of Wish for World Peace, and as stars, children's choirs, dancers, and peace artwork drawn by children from around the globe converged on the stage, the message conveyed by the GBA Film Concert far transcended that of a standard variety gala.

The overarching theme of the evening that we are one family felt both unpretentious and profound. This era calls for fervent passion while cherishing peace; it requires remembering where we come from while understanding where we are headed. No matter where they reside, descendants of the Chinese nation share a common cultural memory, a collective emotional root, and a shared vision for the future.

This was much more than a gala. Starting from the GBA, using music as a universal language and shared cross-Straits memories as a bond, the event elevated personal emotions into collective aspirations for family and national reunification, harmony between humanity and nature, cross-cultural exchanges, and global peace. It is captivating not merely because it brought together a constellation of stars, timeless classics, and breathtaking stage production, but also because it wove youth, passion, nostalgia, reunion, and peace into an emotional tapestry that illuminated the spirit of our times.

Tides rising in GBA - the pulsing rhythm of an era

The opening chapter of the gala, "The Tides: Patriots Building Home," centered around the core imagery of "tides within the bay." The song Tides, written by Wang Pingjiu and composed by Chang Shile, set a powerful and striking tone for this segment.

"Tides, the sound of chasing dreams; countless wave crests, tens of thousands of waking souls."

This "tide" is a geographical metaphor for the GBA facing the vast ocean and connecting with the world, and also an echo of an era where countless individuals chase their dreams courageously. It is not merely a natural landscape, but the spiritual momentum of a region, a nation, and a country surging forward in the torrent of the times.

"Tides, a burning conviction; vast winds howling, thousands of sails racing."

This "burning conviction" stems from unwavering confidence in the future, while the scene of "thousands of sails racing" reflects the open, inclusive, and pioneering spirit of the GBA. The GBA is a confluence of openness, a hub of innovation and creation, and a place where countless young people pursue their dreams and write new chapters of their lives. A surging tide is never the solo performance of a single wave, but a magnificent chorus of thousands of sails advancing together.

"Look at those crests that refuse to turn back, look at those figures standing firm against the waves."

This embodies the most captivating posture of today's Chinese youth: refusing to flinch in the face of change, dodging no challenges, and standing firm with courage as they stride forward in the surging tide of the era. Rather than relying entirely on established superstars to open the show, the gala featured a back-to-back performance by younger, high-energy musicians that instantly ignited the venue. This programming choice itself sent a clear message: Classics deserve respect, but the times equally demand new voices; while history must be looked back upon, the future belongs to the youth.

"Growing within the tides, listening within the tides, sweeping past the Linding embankments to catch sight of the azure sky."

The waters of the Lingding Ocean have witnessed profound vicissitudes as well as monumental transformations. Today, cross-sea passages link bustling city clusters, innovation factors converge into driving momentum, and the dreams of the bay area's youth resonate in unison with the pulse of national development. The "rising tide" represents this vitality - fearless of change, daring to create, and turning toward the sea to thrive.

"Clearing a bay of calm skies, the sun and moon mirror my clear reflection; asking how many times the tides have turned, watching our grace reflected in time."

The clarity and openness of the bay reflect a more composed and confident China, as well as the historical imprint left by an era amid the shifting tides of time.

The echo of classics - connecting shared memories and heartbeats

A truly vital gala cannot rely solely on the "new"; it must also cherish the "old."

When veteran singers such as Hacken Lee, Chyi Chin, Chyi Yu, and Anna Lin (Lin Shu-rong) brought back timeless classics, the wave of nostalgia they triggered was driven not only by familiar melodies, but also because these songs had genuinely accompanied people across different regions, generations, and stages of life.

These tunes have flowed from radios, television sets, cassette tapes, CDs, and street-corner sound systems, accompanying the private thoughts of youth, the melancholy of farewells, and the solitude along the journey of struggle, while soundtracking countless evenings shared by families.

Today, as these melodies ring out once more, people realize that many emotions only grow richer and deeper with time. Across the Taiwan Straits, within the GBA, and throughout the broader Chinese diaspora, people are still moved by the same song and stirred to the same sentiment by the exact same lyrics.

This is the most profound power of Chinese culture: enduring, self-renewing, and passed down through generations.

It requires no deliberate persuasion or forced explanation. The moment a familiar melody sounds, it sparks an instant connection: we share common youthful memories, kindred joys and sorrows, and an emotional language that requires no translation.

The chasing lights, water reflections, pop art colors, and street-dance rhythms on stage were far more than mere technical displays. They used contemporary visual language to revitalize classics, ensuring that timeless songs were not sealed away in the past, but continued to meet, engage, and resonate with young audiences.

Youthful expression - the most natural common language

If classic songs connect us to the past, then original compositions and fresh stage presentations speak to the present and the future.

Ranging in style from gentle, folk-like expressions to vibrant, interactive anthems, and shifting fluidly between band arrangements and symphonic, high-energy stage designs, the gala avoided treating "youth" as mere superficial energy. Instead, it showcased the richer, multi-faceted mental landscape of the younger generation: They can be romantic, sensitive, and relaxed, yet equally steadfast, fervent, and ready to shoulder responsibility.

In particular, Say Hi To You, an interactive song centered around cross-Straits youth collaboration and co-created by Taiwan musicians, culminated in a stage formation shaped like a heart. Without resorting to grandiose rhetoric, it embedded the most natural and vibrant bonds across the Taiwan Straits directly into the music, creative expression, friendship, and shared passions of the younger generation.

A song we both love, a TV drama we follow together, a familiar internet phrase, a sincere and natural collaboration - any of these can become the key that opens the door to understanding. The value of cultural exchange lies in allowing people to first see one another as ordinary individuals, with shared joys and sorrows, so that understanding can grow naturally through resonance.

"Let a thousand rivers surge onward; mountains and seas resonate with me. Today stand the tide riders, bold to blaze new trails." Today's young people are facing richer possibilities in life. All the more reason to draw closer through a shared cultural foundation and grow together.

'The Return: Wandering Children Yearning for Home' - the deepest emotions for all Chinese people

The most emotionally resonant segment of the gala was undoubtedly "The Return: Wandering Children Yearning for Home."

From Dream to Awakening and Romance in the Rain, to a medley of classic Taiwan region's drama soundtracks; from The Young Chinese, I Want a Home, and Mother's Kiss, to Hand in Hand, the program built a layered progression - from youthful memories to a sense of homeland, from personal nostalgia to a shared sense of belonging.

When Meteor Rain played, many were reminded of their youth; when Longing for the Spring Breeze sounded, audiences felt a cultural resonance that transcends regions. And when the line "I want a home" echoed alongside the stage's imagery of countless lit homes, all complex words faded into the simplest of wishes: One may travel far, but the heart ultimately longs for a place called home.

"Even if I die, I will return home." This line, tied to the story of a veteran longing to return, is moving because it reflects the most instinctive and profound attachment an ordinary Chinese person feels toward their homeland.

Home is the land where one's ancestors lived, the familiar dialect etched in memory, the place one longs to return to no matter how far one has gone. It is both a physical destination and a spiritual origin.

There are real divides across the Taiwan Straits, along with misunderstandings. Yet shared culture, shared historical memory, and shared familial bonds remain deep ties that cannot be severed. The gala invited more than 30 influential singers and artists from the island of Taiwan to perform, and featured Zhang Linghe - widely loved by audiences in the Taiwan region - as host and performer. Through music, the gala reminded people that beyond differences and barriers, we still share a common origin and should cherish the path toward a shared future.

The direction of passion is always peace

If "The Bay: Wanderers Cherishing Home" segment speaks to emotional belonging, then "The Vision: We Are One Family" expands that belonging into a broader global vision.

From the interweaving of Cantonese and Putonghua songs to collaborations between traditional opera and piano; from Chinese-style costumes and sweeping landscapes to young people from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan region, Hong Kong, and Macao singing Huang Zhong Ren together; from pop classics of different eras to children's choirs and paintings of peace - the gala radiated an open yet confident cultural spirit.

We cherish our cultural roots while embracing exchange and mutual learning. We love our homeland while hoping for a more peaceful world. We sing for passion to build a better life and safeguard reunion and peace.

That is why the performance of Ode to Passion followed by Wish for World Peace became one of the most meaningful transitions of the entire performance.

Passion needs direction. Without peace, passion risks becoming aimless consumption. And peace requires courage and strength to be sustained and protected. The passion of our era is one that fuels construction, upholds reunion, strives for a better life, and contributes to world peace. As actress Zhang Ziyi said during the gala: "Forged through five thousand years of trials, the Chinese nation understands that peace is humanity's enduring aspiration. It is like sunlight and rain, nurturing all things to grow and flourish. Not every light is lit for those returning home. Fearing the vastness of the world, we hold hands tightly. May there be no wars in distant lands; may all lands under heaven be our shared home; may there be reunion, and may there be world peace." This is the wish of this concert and it is also the wish of the Chinese nation.

The song Tides repeats: "Endless waves, rising across ten thousand miles - ten thousand miles of feeling." This "feeling" is both the surging vitality of the GBA and the emotional echo of Chinese people connected across mountains and seas. The tide flows outward, yet always comes from the same ocean; people may travel far and wide, but carry the same home in their hearts.

A gala for this era

Why is this concert so captivating?

Because through songs, performances, and shared memories, it reminds audiences once again: We share common cultural roots, we cherish family and reunion, and we aspire to a future that is more dignified, hopeful, and peaceful.

It brings together classics and youth, connects the GBA with cross-Straits memories, gathers individual nostalgia into a collective sentiment, and elevates passion into a commitment to peace.

It carries the lightness of Can't Help Falling In Love With You and the intensity of Ode to Passion; the shared memories of idol dramas and the solemn vow of a Taiwan region's veteran who said, "Even if I die, I will return home"; the grandeur of landscapes and the purity of children's voices; and above all, the echo of our times in Tides: "With surging hearts, the land responds."

This was a gala, yet it was much more than that.

It is a reunion of shared memory, a convergence of youthful energy, a sincere hope for reunion across the Straits, and a moving ode dedicated to our era and to peace.

When people of different ages, regions, and experiences resonate with the same melody, are moved by the same sense of home, and unite in the same hope for peace, "we are one family" becomes more than a line on stage.

"The footprints of lights, the breath of a world renewed" - as the vitality of innovation across China drives each brighter tomorrow, it becomes a shared heartbeat, a force moving toward the future: "a radiant guide, as the bright moon calls forth the morning star."