On 22 August 2017, a spectacular concert entitled Children Build Their Dream World opened the festival constituting a series of events under the common title of 2017 Art Performances Interaction between SCO Young Generations. This large-scale cultural and educational event was organised by the Soong Ching Ling Foundation and the SCO Secretariat with the support of the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The opening ceremony was attended by Vice Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, President of the Soong Ching Ling Foundation Wang Jiarui; representatives of embassies of SCO member states, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the SCO Secretariat.
The main participants were youngsters from the six SCO member states. Children's Music School No. 1 from Astana represented Kazakhstan.  Beijing Xuanwu youth Palace in Xicheng District represented China. Cholpan folk group and Shubin Central Children's Music School represented the Kyrgyz Republic. Young singers, grandchildren of folk singer Tafili Nishad who taught them Punjabi songs, represented Pakistan. Russia's delegation consisted of the dance group from St Petersburg's School No. 547. The most successful students from several Tashkent art schools represented Uzbekistan. Many of the children are multiple winners of international contests and festivals.
The performances given by young talents from almost all SCO member countries enwrapped the audience in the sounds of traditional musical instruments, melodious choral works and dynamic folk dances. The remarkably powerful and pure voices of the gifted youngsters, their masterful dancing and acting, and the sound of drums transported the guests to the Tibetan mountains while the tender strings of zhetigen brought them down to the endless steppes.
After the concert, the young participants took part in workshops where they learned about traditional Chinese crafts and tried their hand at some of them. They were later given their endeavors as gifts which they could take away with them.
"This event is very important for the peoples of the SCO. It is an excellent opportunity to establish friendships between the younger generations of these countries and to build a bridge for further mutual enrichment of our cultures. These children's visit to Beijing and participation in an entire series of cultural performances is one of the priorities of China's SCO Presidency," Wang Jiarui noted in his address to the audience.
Over the next few days, the children's groups will give individual performances and enjoy a busy cultural program, including the tour of the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and Beijing Aquarium.
2017 Art Performances Interaction between SCO Young Generations series of events is the first experience of cultural and educational events for children from the SCO member states under the chairmanship of the People's Republic of China
in 2017-2018.
The China Soong Ching Ling Foundation was established in 1982. The Foundation is active in such areas as education, culture, sports, healthcare, science and technology, etc. It also seeks to strengthen friendship and dialogue between people living on both shores of the Strait of Taiwan and helps young people in their pursuits.