Debra Li debra_lidan@163.com THE beloved home turf of local music fans, Shenzhen Concert Hall, will turn 17 years old this Saturday, when the Vienna Boys Choir will perform with their crystal-clear voices classical works, religious music, film scores, and musical numbers to mark this special occasion. In the weeks that follow, the audiences will meet trumpeter Wynton Marsalis alongside the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the Mariinsky Orchestra led by Valery Gergiev, and other top musicians and ensembles of the world today at this venue. On social media platforms like Weibo, Xiaohongshu (Red), and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, attending a concert at Shenzhen Concert Hall has been hailed as a must-try experience for visitors to Shenzhen. Besides adding English-language features on its official website and WeChat mini program, the concert hall has also partnered with online travel agents trip.com and klook.com to provide ticket booking services on these platforms, allowing travelers to plan their visits and book concerts simultaneously. Visitors can pay with Visa, digital yuan, cash, and other standard payment methods at the box office. They can also use WeChat Pay on the mini program or book tickets on the official website using WeChat Pay or Alipay. “It’s very convenient to book a ticket. The VR seating map on their mini program helped me make a quick decision,” said a Hong Konger identified as Jake after attending a recent concert, adding that the venue’s announcement broadcasts in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English are also considerate. “On the day of the performance, you can store your luggage for free at the Cloak Room on the second floor, which is a bonus for non-locals like me,” he said. Apart from commercial shows that bring the best musicians to the local stage, two public benefit series have served more than a million fans over the past 17 years. The concert hall initiated the weekly “Beautiful Sunday” concert series not long after its opening in 2007. Staged at 3 p.m. on Sundays, the series has consistently provided high-quality shows and contributed 30% of the time at each event for lectures and expositions to serve as a bridge between entry-level listeners and classical music. “Charging between 10 yuan (US$1.4) and 30 yuan for each show, this series is tailored for students like me,” said Ann, a student of Macao University of Science and Technology. “Many other projects offer affordable tickets starting at 50 yuan or 80 yuan, too. And there is the free ‘Afternoon Music Time series’ on Saturdays.” Ma Yuan, a Zhuhai resident who brought her son on a recent tour to Shenzhen, chose to attend a concert at the venue. “There are charging piles in the car park, exactly what I needed,” she said. The venue also offers a free charging service for mobile phones, blankets for the elderly, first-aid kits, and seat pads for children. “We make sure that the last car leaves the parking lot within 15 minutes after the concert ends,” said Guo Xiaolan, the general manager of the concert hall. “The devil is in the details,” she said. “We wish to draw a larger audience into the concert hall to appreciate classical music, and to that end, we continue to upgrade our services.” | 