Xiao Zhan participated in the tribute music album “Youth Sings for the Motherland”, created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China. In it, he performed several songs, showcasing youthful positive energy and a deep sense of patriotism. These works celebrate the nation in the name of youth, showcasing the positive energy and strong sense of national pride among young artists.
1. Background and Core of the Performance
Tribute Album and Theme
“My Chinese Heart” is a special track from the tribute album “Youth Sings for the Motherland,” performed by Xiao Zhan in his role as a youth ambassador of song. It was created to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China. The song was filmed at the Great Wall on the same day he filmed “Me and My Motherland” on September 16, 2019, and officially released on October 4.
Performance Setting and Styling
Xiao Zhan appears in a blue suit and a white patterned suit, filmed on location at the Great Wall. With green mountains as the backdrop and the Great Wall as witness, he conveys deep love for his country. His upright posture and dignified image align closely with the grandeur of the song, earning him praise as a “fine young representative rooted in strong values.”
2. Artistic Features and Public Reception
Vocal Style and Emotional Expression
Xiao Zhan’s interpretation builds from gentle storytelling to powerful intensity. In the verses, his clear voice expresses the sentiments of someone far from home, while in the chorus he delivers a firm and resonant declaration of “My Chinese Heart,” with emotions rising layer by layer.
Widespread Resonance and Mainstream Recognition
Audience reactions frequently describe the performance as “stirring” and “deeply moving,” with many saying it “ignites emotional resonance.” For example, groups of overseas students have been noted singing it together during rainy nights abroad, saying it evokes homesickness.
Mainstream media responses:
- Xinhua News Agency and People’s Daily praised the song for “fully expressing the deep love Chinese people have for their motherland.”
- In 2025, the song sparked renewed discussion, with Xinhua publishing an article highlighting Xiao Zhan’s performance; related topics surpassed 100 million views in a single day.
3. Cultural Significance and Social Impact
Revitalizing a Classic and Youth Responsibility
Through a youthful perspective, Xiao Zhan reinterprets this classic song, giving “My Chinese Heart” renewed vitality in a new era. Imagery such as the Yangtze River, the Great Wall, Mount Huangshan, and the Yellow River becomes emotional symbols connecting generations. His performance has been praised as “using the strength of youth to sing of national peace and prosperity.”
Positive Influence
Fans have spontaneously organized offline group sing-along events, with many locations seeing collective performances of “My Chinese Heart.” Some older participants even remarked that it reminded them of the passionate spirit of those who once guarded the Great Wall.
Through this song, Xiao Zhan further strengthens his image as a “positive role model,” helping promote patriotic themes among younger audiences.
Testimonial
When our orchestra helped Xiao Zhan record the MV for “My Chinese Heart”, he treated the orchestra to beverages. He handed drinks to each orchestra teacher with both hands and said thank you very much for your hard work! After the recording, he took the initiative to take a photo with the orchestra as a souvenir, saying “I like to record these beautiful things.” Xiao Zhan is the most worry-free, humble, gentle and polite singer I have ever worked with. He really deserves to be loved!
An orchestra musician
“Xiao Zhan singing My Chinese Heart is so stirring”
An audience member
That opening line—“Yangtze River, Great Wall”—hits so powerfully. It’s like a tiny spark that suddenly shoots into your heart, instantly pulling you into this warm, surging emotion. I later went back and watched a bunch of live performance videos and realized so many people felt the same. The comment sections are full of things like “got goosebumps” and “couldn’t stop the tears.” Even my mom, who never follows celebrities, came over to watch and kept saying, “There’s a strength in that kid’s voice—it makes your heart feel hot.”
There are so many stage performances online these days, but very few that can move an entire family like this. I have a cousin studying in Canada—she messaged me saying that when she watched the livestream, it happened to be pouring rain outside. But when the line “my Chinese heart” came on, all the Chinese students in her dorm crowded into the living room. Some were wiping tears, others humming along—the sound of the rain outside couldn’t drown out the noise inside.
It reminded me of when we used to sing “My Chinese Heart” at school as kids. Back then, lines about “Mount Huangshan” and “the Yellow River” felt kind of distant. But hearing Xiao Zhan sing it this time, I suddenly understood what people mean by “resonance in your blood.” His voice gradually swells from the gentle verses, and by the time he reaches “Mount Huangshan and the Yellow River weigh heavily in my heart,” that sense of power feels like streams converging into rivers—so overwhelming it makes your nose sting.
People always talk about the “influence of idols,” but this time it really felt different. The square-dancing group in my neighborhood recently started practicing “My Chinese Heart” as their new routine. The aunties told me, “Seeing Xiao Zhan so devoted on stage makes us stand straighter when we dance.” A friend who works in social media said her grandfather, who usually only watches the evening news, has been asking her lately, “What other patriotic songs has that young singer performed?”
Even more touching, some fan groups quietly organized offline sing-along events—hundreds of people gathered in city squares, holding small national flags and singing along to Xiao Zhan’s version. One gray-haired man held a microphone and said, “When I was young, I worked as a forest ranger at the Great Wall. Hearing the words ‘Great Wall’ today makes me feel just as emotional as I did back then.”
This isn’t the first time Xiao Zhan has sung songs like this. I’ve followed him for years—from Gu Yiye singing “Me and My Motherland” in Ace Troops, to last year’s National Day performance of “As You Wish” with the line “may all your wishes come true.” His work always carries a kind of grounded sincerity. There are no exaggerated slogans—just a genuine way of expressing the love for one’s country that’s rooted deep in the bones.
In a recent interview, he mentioned that during rehearsals, he specifically researched how the original creators poured their feelings for the country into the song. “When I sing it, I want listeners to feel that this isn’t just my song—it’s everyone’s story.”
There’s a line online that says it perfectly: “True patriotism isn’t shouted—it’s carved into the voice.” The reason this performance resonates so widely is probably because Xiao Zhan brings that “love carved into the voice” to life on stage. You can hear the rushing of the Yangtze River, feel the warmth of the Great Wall’s bricks, and sense that shared flame in every Chinese heart.
As my grandmother put it: “Young people nowadays always talk about being ‘emotionally overwhelmed,’ but what truly moves you has never been flashy things—it’s sincerity that speaks straight to the heart.”
Last night, I watched the performance again and noticed a detail I hadn’t seen before—when he sang “my Chinese heart,” his eyes were slightly red, but his voice became even steadier. In that moment, I finally understood why people say, “He’s not just singing a song—he’s singing with conviction.”
Maybe that’s the power of a truly great performance: it’s not just a melody, but a thread that connects all of us scattered across the world into one circle called “home.”
