Beethoven in China: How the Great Composer Became an Icon in the People’s Republic

At the turn of the twentieth century, students returning from abroad brought Beethoven to China. The composer’s perseverance in the face of adversity and his musical genius resonated in a nation searching for a way forward.

At the turn of the twentieth century, students returning from abroad brought Beethoven to China. The composer’s perseverance in the face of adversity and his musical genius resonated in a young nation searching for a way forward. Beethoven remained a durable part of Chinese life in the decades that followed, proving a remarkable chameleon; an icon to reformers, intellectuals, music fans and party cadres alike, playing a role in major historical events from the May Fourth Movement to the normalisation of US-China relations.