If you ask any Shanghai resident about the Yong’an Department Store on East Nanjing Road, they will tell you not to miss the man and his saxophone, who has been performing his graceful melodies since 1997. The 59 year old man, Ge Ruiqin, used to work for the Jiangnan Manufacturing Bureau, and happened to be invited by the Yong’an Department Store to perform at its opening ceremony. The ceremony was an overwhelming success and Ge received huge praise and applause on the balcony of the second floor. From then on, Ge was employed by the department store to play the saxophone every afternoon from three to five. Almost 20 years have passed since Ge was employed, but his devotion to his career has not faded. And neither has his fan base - more and more people gather at the open space in front of the department store to gaze at the man and his sweet tunes. The music is always specifically chosen, and it usually old Shanghai or world-famous pieces. Over the years, the most popular pieces have been “The Jasmine Flower”, “Going Back Home” and “Old Lang Syne”. As a Shanghai native, I still remember the days when I passed the department store on Nanjing Road. The music flowed like soft silk and covered the whole street. Each passerby was made aware of his presence. At present, Ge is introducing his successor to his audiences - a blind 25-year-old man called Gu Cheng. Gu has been nursing his saxophone talents since a very young age, and as of 2009, Ge has been mentoring Gu. If you take a stroll down East Nanjing Road, you’ll be able to see the teacher and pupil performing familiar melodies, creating what is now known as the Saxophone Generation. This article was written by Emma Tao. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch.