Xi encouraged Liao and his colleagues to go for their goal, and said that even though it may seem far, "If you stop thinking about it, you will never reach it."

During deliberations with fellow deputies, Xi emphasized the soft power of culture, which he said, represents the most underlying core of a country's composite strength. The president called for greater confidence in the Chinese culture.

"We must promote the traditional culture of our nation and search for our vigor in it," he said.

Just seven months later, "The Spring River Flows East" premiered at Shanghai International Arts Festival. In January 2017, "Tang Xianzu," another original opera by the Shanghai Conservatory of Music honoring its namesake legendary Chinese playwright -- with Liao playing the leading role -- premiered at the National Center for the Performing Arts, before going on a global tour.

Liao, now president of the conservatory, has kept Xi's words firmly in mind and put them into practice, as the conservatory has carried out international and domestic cooperation in the forms of competitions, publications and concerts, to promote fine traditional Chinese culture around the globe.

As for Xi, the role of Chinese culture on the world stage has never been far from his focus. At a meeting with China's literary and art circles in December last year, he stressed once again the importance of preserving the stance of Chinese culture and establishing a distinctive Chinese style and demeanor in world literature and art.