From stage to square

The morning air at Tianqiao Square in Beijing was crisp enough to see one's breath, but by 7 am, a crowd had already gathered. They were waiting for Sun Chubo, a bamboo flute and panpipe performer from the China National Opera and Dance Drama Theater.

There was no stage, no ticket booth, no program. Just a musician, her flutes, and a public square transformed into a concert hall.

Sun has become an unlikely civic phenomenon on social media. Since October, she has given more than 20 such impromptu performances in Beijing, from the Zizhuyuan Park to the Temple of Heaven Park.

The expansion of her stage to include al fresco areas started with a viral social media clip that recorded her playing outdoors in October. Dozens of people stopped to listen, which made her nervous. She then heard someone request a tune for her to play and she developed a rapport with the crowd.

Sun began learning the bamboo flute at the age of 9. By the time she graduated from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in Shenyang, Liaoning province, she had mostly performed in formal theaters and concert halls.

For Sun, the switch to playing in public parks is profoundly different from the controlled environment of a concert hall.

"On stage, the lights are bright. I can't see the audience's faces," she says. "Here, everything is immediate. I see their smiles or their focused expressions during a sad song. It's intimate."

Clips of her have spread on social media platforms like Douyin and WeChat, where she has been dubbed the "national daughter". Her following has grown, drawing not just local people but dedicated travelers from as far as East China's Fujian province.

In the two months since October, she has performed in parks across Beijing, attracting larger crowds each time.

Many older audience members affectionately call her "daughter", because some say that "listening to her play the flute feels like watching my own daughter showcase her talent". The title makes Sun feel a warm and intimate connection.

Audiences often record her performances and share them online, with some even livestreaming the shows. This intimacy brings its own pressure. "The reach is so much wider now. I fear playing poorly, so I practice more intensely," she admits.

The elements are another challenge. Winter cold warps the bamboo and affects pitch and tone. She now carries a backup set of flutes.

The trend she represents is catching on. On the same afternoon at Tianqiao, seven musicians gave a pop-up concert, to similar acclaim. Sun has also invited colleagues to join her.

For musicians, the motivation is both missionary and personal. "My colleagues and I believe this is an excellent way to familiarize everyone with our traditional Chinese instruments," Sun says.

Zhang Xinyue contributed to the story.