Chinese rock fans will be turning on, tuning in and wiping their perspiring brows with the back of their hand when a musical festival opens in the desert this weekend.

A grand carnival of rock music -- dubbed the "Glorious Path of Chinese Rock & Roll" -opens today and continues over the weekend on the feral desert floor of Phoenix Valley at the foot of Helan Mountain, 30 kilometers from Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in Northwest China.

The gig of all gigs is touted as the biggest gathering of rock musicians since China's native rock music emerged 20 years ago.

Eighteen bands will give a 15-hour live-show over three days on a huge stage made from stone.

"We must make twice or even three times as much effort in our presentation," said Cui Jian -- known to fans as the Godfather of Chinese rock'n'roll -- at a press conference in June.

"It will let you know the meaning of freedom and allow you to really feel the way music inspires," he said.

Huang Liaoyuan, the mastermind of the rock festival, said that he made up his mind to stage the event two years ago.

Among the first-generation of independent music makers to start operating in China during the early 1990s, Huang said he had been in contact with avant-garde artists in recent years.

"I've been witnessing the progress of Chinese rock'n'roll all these years," Huang said. "The big problem is that they have very little chance to play live shows."

"I hope the festival will arouse great public interest. Our real intention is to attract more people to enjoy rock music," Huang said.

China boasts more than 10,000 rock bands. In Beijing, over 2,000 rock bands collectively have at least 10,000 players, said Huang, who acted as the agent of the Tang Dynasty rock band from 1999 to 2001.

The news of the rock festival has caused a big stir among rock fans all over the country. It is expected thousands will descend on the scene either by driving or by taking trains or planes.

"There are lots of rock fans in Beijing alone," said Zhang Yanlong, director of the project development center of BTG Travel & Tours, the travel agency solely authorized to organize and make all arrangements for rock fans in terms of transportation, accommodation and admission to the marathon concert.

"We have even received lots of phone calls from Xi'an," Zhang said. "Rock bands should not limit themselves to self-enjoyment. They should come out to let rock fans listen to their music.

"I think the rock festival is really a good thing for rock fans. We're now trying to organize rock fans to take a through train from Beijing to Yinchuan."

The rock festival is expected to add a passionate touch to the Fifth China (Yinchuan) International Motorcycle Tourism Festival (IMTF) scheduled between today through next Tuesday.

Also Hope-Land, a complex with 12 architectural designs by 12 avant-garde artists, will be open to the public for the first time as another attraction at the foot of Helan Mountain. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of Hope-Land will be staged during the two festivals.

All these events will happen in Phoenix Valley which is owned by Ningxia Minsheng Real Estate Development Co Ltd, and covers an area of 447 hectares. There are plans to develop the site as a permanent base for the annual event of IMTF with a capacity to admit 50,000 people.

"It's the first time that we've been authorized to sponsor the motorcycle international in a commercial way," said Chen Jia, chairman of the board. "We want to make it different."

Initially, the company made an investment of 18 million yuan (US$2.17 million) to build Hope-Land.

"But I didn't think it is enough to cause a sensation," Chen said. When Huang Liaoyuan came up with his idea of doing a rock festival, Chen said he was more than pleased. "I thought it is a good match. The decision was made without hesitation. We've budgeted 12 million yuan to sponsor the two festivals," Chen said.

In this frontier fortress city described as "Southern Lush Land on the Frontier" in ancient poetry, people will hardly believe what they see around them: a mingling of desert beauty with the charms of subtropical greenness.

Few can imagine what a hectic scene will ensue when rock players and rock fans, motorcycle riders and motorcycle fanatics, avant-garde artists, business people and whoever else rush into Phoenix Valley for the two festivals.

For sure, though, that mountain is set to rock this weekend.

(China Daily August 6, 2004)