Eighty-six special needs students from Jining give a spectacular musical performance during the 11th art performance festival of disabled people held in Wuhan, Hubei province. [Photo/China Times]

The 11th art performance festival of disabled people held in Wuhan, Hubei province, saw 86 students with visual, hearing or other impairments from Shandong's Jining give a spectacular musical performance on stage, recreating the Confucius Temple musical ceremony and bringing the past to life.

They performed Xuanping Chapter, the core musical piece of the "initial offering ceremony" of the Confucian Temple during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The students played 17 types of instruments like bells and flutes, all wearing hanfu, a type of traditional Chinese attire.

Students recreate the scene of the past ceremony with "restored" Confucius Temple musical instruments while wearing hanfu. [Photo/China Times]

This ambitious project took three years to complete. Many Confucius Temple instruments were ornamental and couldn't be played. The team recreated playable versions, giving disabled students the chance to learn and perform. The music, adapted from Qing Dynasty scores, was simplified for the students while retaining its elegance and ritualistic feel.

The performance aimed to integrate special arts with Confucian culture, helping disabled students understand traditional aesthetics and boost confidence. It also highlighted the therapeutic and empowering effects of traditional arts on disabled individuals. Despite challenges like funding and the complexity of traditional instruments, the project received support from local authorities and businesses in Jining, showcasing the potential of traditional culture to bridge barriers and uplift marginalized groups.