Musical milestone in Vatican

VATICAN CITY: When Chinese conductor Yu Long stepped on the stage in Vatican City's spacious Paul VI Audience Hall packed with 7,000 on Wednesday evening, he knew he was going to make history.

On a red carpet in the center of the hall sat Pope Benedict XVI in his throne, flanked by the Vatican college of cardinals on the right and a Chinese VIP delegation on the left.

When Mozart's Requiem was echoing in the hall, it was a landmark for Yu as well as China's music history.