Musicians use culture as curative

Pang Ke, a senior student at Peking Union Medical College, is the leader of the Xieyun Instrumental Troupe. Three years after the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, she and other troupe members recently visited the PUMC Hospital's wards for the first time to perform for patients and medical workers.

The Xieyun Instrumental Troupe was founded in 2015 by PUMC students and doctors. Members regularly performed for patients, their families and college staff members, both in the hospital and on campus. Mixing Western and traditional Chinese music, classical and pop songs, the "musicians in white coats" brought joy and warmth to the hospital wards.

Now that the troupe has resumed performances, Pang said that they hoped to get closer to patients and use music to relieve their pain and anxiety and keep them feeling positive.

"The students at PUMC are really busy, and the academic pressure is overwhelming," she said. "I learned Chinese classical music before, and now I'm studying medicine to become a good doctor."

PUMC, China's top medical education institution, endeavors to provide innovative training and allow students from different backgrounds to get into medicine. Currently, it is home to more than 30 student societies, including Xieyun, the Yuyan Choir and a dance troupe.