"The music has mobilized all my music cells and passion and it completely represents what is post-classic music in my heart," said Ha.

The song Green Jade Cup on this album is more creative. The lyrics are from one of the most famous works of Xin Qiji (1140-1207), one of China's greatest poets in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). The producer uses a humorous and fun way to present it. There is a perfect combination of different oriental and Western instruments, such as piano, electric guitar, flute and pipa, which conveys a strong yuppie style.

"It is a bold creation and a try to present the poem of Xin in this way. The heroic style of the poem and the graceful voice of the singer combined perfectly," said a blogger in a message left on Ha's website.

Spreading culture

Talking about this album, Ha seemed very excited. "This album is a turning point of my art career," she said, "I have put all my passion and inspiration into it, hoping to realize my dream and also present the essence of China's ancient culture through my music."

Her efforts have already been noticed. The new album of pot-classical music has been chosen by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as a gift to foreign guests.

Currently, Ha has her own studio called Lian (Lotus), which represents nobility, elegance and purity in Chinese culture. Located in a small hutong near the well-known Houhai area in north Beijing, the studio is decorated like a study in ancient China.

In her spare time Ha plays guqin, an ancient Chinese instrument that has a history of more than 3,000 years, practices calligraphy, reads classical literary works in her studio. Now she is learning English and German, hoping to know more about the history and culture of other countries and understand the cultural differences between China and the West.

Her new album will also be distributed overseas and she hopes to spread the ancient Chinese classics to new ears worldwide, helping more people understand China and its culture.

(Beijing Review September 3, 2008)