Behind the enthralling choral performance of the theme song Voice of Amity at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Chengdu World Games lies touching stories of friendship among child singers from China and the world.

The song, which was the final showstopper of the ceremony held on Thursday evening in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, was performed by 118 children from choirs across China, Italy and the United States, along with 12 local residents who are university students, sports lovers and firefighters.

Chloe, one of the nine performers from Italian children's choir Piccolo Coro dell'Antoniano, who turned 12 on Thursday, said it was a particularly special and meaningful way of celebrating her birthday.

"It is a brand-new experience for us, because it's our first time participating in such a big international event," she said, adding that she felt proud to perform at the grand opening ceremony.

One of the most exciting things for her, Chloe said, was to meet for the first time choir singers from different parts of China and play with children of her age.

"In the rehearsal room, there was a piano. We played it with other kids and sang songs from different cultures," she said. "We even played a game very similar to one in Italy with the other kids and it was great fun."

As a first-time visitor to Chengdu, Chloe said she is also excited to discover that the city is home to the giant pandas.

Jishi Menizha and Wang Ying, both 12, were helping their families harvest potatoes — a bumper crop this season — in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture when they received the invitation to perform at the games' opening ceremony.

"Helping my parents at home makes me happy, but I'm even happier to be here in Chengdu. It's our first chance to sing with children from other countries," said Jishi, who belongs to the Yi ethnic group and is a member of Niuniu Choir.

Wang, who also belongs to the Yi ethnic group and is a member of the same choir, said that although they don't speak English, they quickly made friends with children from other countries through gestures and games.

"We taught them the games children play here. They picked the games up once we showed them how," she added.

Peers' encouragement

Lyu Aiwei, 9, from Hydrangea Choir in Shanghai, who sang the opening line of the theme song at the opening ceremony, said the encouragement she received from children of other participating choirs was heartwarming.

"Right before going onstage, I always get nervous. My stomach hurts and my heart seems to race at 140 beats per minute. But this time, the other kids encouraged me, saying, 'You can do this', and indeed I did it!" Lyu said.

"I'm so happy to have made so many new friends here. They come from so many different places," she added.

Lyu said she believes the theme song delivers the message that people from different countries and regions should unite, and children from different places should become friends.

Zhang Qing, deputy chief director of the games' opening and closing ceremonies, said the reason so many child singers were invited to perform at the opening ceremony is that their innocence can best convey the message of peace and friendship in today's world.

"What a beautiful thing it was to see children from across the globe join hands and sing a song together!" Zhang added.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn