The song that led me home

Kawakami Sadao in Wuxi. [Photo provided to en.wuxi.gov.cn]

That day, our choir leader wore a traditional Chinese qipao and performed Mushaku Ryojo for the cameras.

Watching her sing, I realized that even after four decades, the song had lost none of its vitality.

Chinese scholars have also recognized its significance.

Writer and literary critic Zhang Songxuan describes the song as an important bridge for cultural exchange between China and Japan, crediting it with helping drive Wuxi's tourism industry. Professor and essayist Ding Yi of Thailand's Chiang Mai University argues that its importance extends far beyond popular music. By introducing an unfamiliar Chinese city into the everyday lives of ordinary Japanese people, he says, the song helped stimulate tourism, people-to-people exchanges and even foreign investment.

I also believe the song inspired many local musicians in Wuxi, encouraging them to create works rooted in the city's own identity. Albums such as Yang Hong's Wuxi, featuring songs like The Most Beautiful Wuxi and A New Melody of Liangxi, are examples of how that legacy continues.