[Explanation] On New Year's Eve in 1984, when Zhang Mingmin, a young singer from Hong Kong, sang the song "My Chinese Heart" for the first time on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala, countless audiences were excited.
Overnight, the song sounded like it had wings on it, resounding across the country.
And the singer, who was already well-known in Hong Kong at that time, has since entered the field of vision of Chinese audiences around the world.
Talking about the experience more than 30 years ago, Zhang Mingmin is still impressed.
In 1982, Japan's tampering with the history of aggression against China in textbooks angered countless Chinese.
Huang Zhan, a Hong Kong songwriter and songwriter who was known as a "music genius" at that time, immediately composed a song "My Chinese Heart", but unfortunately he couldn't find anyone to sing.
At this time, Zhang Mingmin, an "amateur singer" who was still working at the Kowloon Electronics Factory, stood up.
[Concurrent] Hong Kong singer Zhang Mingmin
Because Japan tampered with its history at that time, our young people in Hong Kong began to understand this history.
As a young man, I still want to do a little work in my heart, I still want to do a little thing, and I still want to be a witness to history.
The song "My Chinese Heart" is also worth mentioning. It was also arranged by Hong Kong itself. I wrote the lyrics and music, and the lead singer was also my first, so I think I am very lucky.
[Commentary] In the era when Cantonese songs were popular, Zhang Mingmin insisted on singing in Mandarin.
With the help of Huang Zhan, Zhang Mingmin's album "Chinese Nation" was officially released.
Among them, "My Chinese Heart" is considered to have sung the voices of countless Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan compatriots and overseas Chinese, and became the most popular song at that time.
The director of the Spring Festival Gala at that time wanted to take this opportunity to invite Hong Kong singers to perform in the Mainland.
Because of this "My Chinese Heart", Zhang Mingmin received an invitation from the Spring Festival Gala for the first time.
[Concurrent] Hong Kong singer Zhang Mingmin
In fact, in Hong Kong at that time, many Hong Kong people felt that I should not go back to mainland China to sing, because mainland China was not open at that time, and there was no market.
But my mother said, you have to go back and sing this song, because there is only one in China, you go back.
[Explanation] In the early 1980s, at the beginning of reform and opening up, popular music in Hong Kong and Taiwan was ready to be released, but many mainland listeners still had the stereotype of "excessive sound".
The rapid popularity of "My Chinese Heart" has given mainland society a new interpretation of popular music in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
In Zhang Mingmin's view, his emotional connection to the country is largely due to his mother's patriotic genes.
[Concurrent] Hong Kong singer Zhang Mingmin
My mother is an overseas Chinese in Indonesia. My mother wanted to return to the mainland from Indonesia when she was a child. At that time, she had a very patriotic feeling, so I think we still have genes.
As an overseas Chinese, it is very hard and miserable.
Born in Indonesia at that time, I was excluding Chinese at that time.
In her heart, she held a kind of reliance that China is good, China is good, and she wants to return to China.
My mother taught Chinese (Mandarin), and my mother took me to listen to a lot of Mandarin (Mandarin) songs, so I have more affection for the motherland than the average young people in Hong Kong.
[Explanation] On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong, which had experienced vicissitudes of life, finally returned, and overseas Chinese from all over the world gathered together to celebrate this century-old event.
For the Hong Kong singer, the song "My Chinese Heart" not only sings the love of Chinese children for the motherland, but also sings the thoughts and emotional ties of overseas Chinese to their hometown.
[Concurrent] Hong Kong singer Zhang Mingmin
I saw the British flag (lowered) and the flag of our People's Republic of China raised.
It is true that this return has been 25 years, which is neither long nor short, but it is indeed a very deep impression for our age, because it is the first time, the first time in a lifetime , very excited.
In retrospect, "My Chinese Heart" seems to be personal, but I think today "My Chinese Heart" belongs to everyone.
You look at the position of Chinese people all over the world, the position of China today.
We know how the Chinese Heart can make it better. I think "My Chinese Heart" does not belong to me today, but belongs to the overseas Chinese all over the world.
Reporter Fan Siyi Luo Qianqian Liangyuan Hong Kong reports
Responsible editor: [Ji Xiang]