On the morning of January 29th, the various group discussions of the Fourth Session of the 16th Chengdu Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were proceeding with great enthusiasm. Group 12, consisting of individuals from cultural and artistic circles, saw its 27 members engage in discussions centered around a specific cultural phenomenon.

This phenomenon is the song "Jiahe Wanggang." Within the week, this song went viral online, trending extensively. The heartfelt performance by Sichuan-born singer Hailai Amu also propelled the song into the proceedings of the Guangdong Provincial Two Sessions, where it became part of the "hard advertisement" copy used by the Mayor of Guangzhou. Starting from this point, the members discussed the song "Chengdu" created by singer Zhao Lei, exploring the relationship between a song and a city. Multiple members suggested using music as a medium to build an emotional bridge between Chengdu and Guangzhou, forming a "soul CP" partnership.

What are the similarities between "Chengdu" and "Jiahe Wanggang"? Zhu Xingwei, a member of the Chengdu Municipal CPPCC and Chairman of Sichuan Kuaketong Technology Co., Ltd., believes that Chengdu's status as a网红 city is closely related to the song "Chengdu." He also mentioned the "bonus" effect that musical works like "Jade Plate" and "Inch of Heart" have on a city's image, expressing a hope for the continuous emergence of excellent city-themed songs. Interestingly, Li Tao, a member of the Chengdu Municipal CPPCC and Deputy General Manager of Chengdu Art Theater Co., Ltd., identified similarities between "Chengdu" and "Jiahe Wanggang"—singer Zhao Lei is from Beijing but considers Chengdu his "second hometown," appreciating its leisurely pace and human touch; singer-songwriter Hailai Amu is from Liangshan, ventured in Guangzhou, and lived near the Jiahe Wanggang subway station, making "Jiahe Wanggang" an emotional landmark. Li Tao stated that Zhao Lei created an urban love song, while Hailai Amu sang of the complex resonance between parting and reunion, youth and the city. "They poured personal emotions into their songs, which also connected with the public, leading to rapid popularity. This sense of singing about 'my hometown' while in a foreign land is very touching," Li Tao said.

Both Chengdu and Guangzhou are places renowned for producing talented pop musicians. Xu Qing, a member of the Chengdu Municipal CPPCC and Vice President of the Sichuan Tianfu New Area Association for New Social Stratum, saw a broader connection: Guangdong is a primary destination for migrant workers from Sichuan; both Chengdu and Guangzhou have been selected by UNESCO as "World Cities of Gastronomy"; both cities love flowers, with Chengdu nicknamed the "City of Hibiscus" and Guangzhou known as the "Flower City"... The two songs have caused the two cities to collide, revealing even more similarities. "Chengdu and Guangzhou are both hubs where pop music talent emerges generation after generation; both have interesting 'souls' and are worthy of forming a 'CP' partnership using songs as the medium," suggested Mei Mei, a member of the Chengdu Municipal CPPCC and Vice Chairman of the Wenjiang District Musicians Association.

There are already pioneers in collaboration between the two cities. Mei Mei revealed that in March 2023, Wenjiang District, as a forerunner in Chengdu, signed an agreement with Guangzhou's Nansha District to jointly build the first "Integrating into the Bay Area, Joining the Circle" innovation and collaboration demonstration base. For the signing ceremony, she composed a song titled "Spanning Rivers and Seas." Mei Mei suggested that as Chengdu is building itself into an "International Music Capital," with music celebrities like Dao Lang, Han Hong, and Little Hour Girl successively settling in the city, and Guangzhou being a pioneer in domestic pop music, promoting increased exchanges and cooperation between the music talents of the two cities could help Chengdu "sing even louder." Xu Qing noted that the China Gold Bell Award for Music, held in Chengdu for multiple sessions, was actually taken over from Guangzhou. Chengdu has the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Guangzhou has the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, and both cities also possess numerous theaters. Beyond the two songs, the two cities should more sustainably build their own events, music labels, music festivals, etc., and use these platforms to foster mutual exchange and integration.

Zhu Xingwei believes that in the past, city alliances mostly focused on economic and personnel exchanges. Now, with the people's growing demand for cultural life, cultural interaction should also carry the banner in city interactions. He suggested that Chengdu and Guangzhou could collaborate with Chongqing to jointly initiate a selection for the "Top Ten Golden Melodies of Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guangdong," or establish mechanisms to encourage more collaboration among musicians from the three regions to create more outstanding works.