In 1980, the Chinese Embassy in London took a box at the Royal Albert Hall for ‘The Sense of Ireland’ festival, and the diplomats had enjoyed The Chieftains’ performance so much that they invited the band to visit China. When full diplomatic relations between Ireland and China were restored in 1981, Moloney decided to pursue the offer as part of an ambitious plan to become the first ever Western group to play on the Great Wall, and take The Chieftains to new heights of international recognition.
The trip was a huge success, with recordings and footage taken of their historic trip to The Great Wall, their performances with various Chinese folk orchestras, as well as more impromptu performances with local musicians along the way.
Track Listing
- Full of Joy
- In a Suzhow Garden
- If I had Maggie in the Garden
- The Reason for my Sorrow
- The Chieftains in China
- Planxty Irwin
- Off The Great Wall
- A Tribute to O’ Carolan
- The Wind from the South
- China to Hong Kong