On Friday evenings, as gentle twilight gradually envelops the city streets, the youth night school in Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, Guizhou, comes alive with activity.

On the brightly lit stage, a tall young man is playing the piano piece "Ascending Spring Mountain." The light and beautiful melody flows out with the dancing of black and white keys, earning rounds of warm applause.

This is the "Weekend Music Party" regularly hosted by the youth night school. The performer is Hu Tao, who works at the Guanshanhu Campus of Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital. "I've wanted to learn piano for several years, but my studies were too busy before and I never had the chance. Guiyang helped me fulfill this dream," said the excited 95-generation young man from Shandong.

Two years ago, Hu Tao graduated from Capital Medical University and came to Guiyang through talent recruitment. "I thought life here would be quite monotonous, but I didn't expect such a rich cultural atmosphere! There's a youth night school right near the talent apartment where I live, with so many humanities and arts courses that it's hard to choose," Hu Tao said with a smile. "With the enthusiastic 'matchmaking' of the apartment, I enrolled in several classes, which enriched my spare time and helped me gain a group of like-minded friends."

"This term's 67 courses were 'snapped up' just two days after opening!" said Lin Kaixin, head of the comprehensive section of the Communist Youth League Guanshanhu District Committee, flipping through the course catalog. "Especially popular courses like musical instruments, art, and baking are sold out in less than 10 minutes after going online."

"Our district concentrates high-tech enterprises in big data and artificial intelligence, gathering a large number of young talents from outside Guizhou. To meet their demand for high-quality cultural life, we've developed more refined and personalized courses, using knowledgeable, flavorful, and colorful days to serve and retain talent!" Lin Kaixin told reporters.

Now, youth night schools are not only "blooming citywide" but also extending to counties, towns, and villages.

The artistic skills "cultivated" in youth night schools also have stages for full expression!

"Let's go check out the 'roadside music concert'!" As golden sunset light envelops Wenchang Pavilion, under the ancient city wall, guitar sounds accompanied by cheers soar to the sky. Wang Lei, a 95-generation programmer who just rushed over from Gui'an New Area after work, eagerly joins the joyful crowd.

Last year, Wang Lei was attracted by Guiyang's thriving big data industry and quit his job in Guangzhou to work in Guiyang. This music fan's biggest concern was: "It won't be convenient to attend concerts in the future."

Unexpectedly, upon arriving in Guiyang, he was immediately captivated by the ubiquitous "roadside music concerts."

"City squares, commercial districts, street parks... all become music venues! The performers include not only local bands but also singers from all over the country and even abroad; there's not only popular music but also 'original ecology' from various ethnic groups! Ordinary enthusiasts like me also have many opportunities to perform on stage," Wang Lei said with growing excitement. "No need to grab tickets, no need to make reservations - everyone plays music together, and the atmosphere couldn't be more 'energetic'!"

This zero-ticket, zero-threshold, zero-commercial music IP has been rated by netizens as one of the "must-visit" city landmarks and has become a major cultural highlight of Guiyang's talent recruitment efforts.

"After being away for several years and coming back, I feel even more that Guiyang takes both the material and spiritual needs of young people to heart!" In 2023, Li Hongzhen, a Guizhou girl who ended her "Beijing drifting" experience, returned home to start a business. Besides the booming business opportunities, she was also attracted by her hometown's cultural atmosphere.

"Youth-friendly districts like Qingyun Market and Huaxi Cross Street are full of vitality, 486 courts and fitness paths are embedded in '15-minute living circles,' and 1,025 city parks and forest parks have become 'sports and social venues'... Here, young people can always find good places to improve themselves and relax," she said with pride in her voice.

"So far, Guiyang has added over 110,000 new talents annually for three consecutive years, with the total talent pool reaching 1.515 million in 2024. The city was also selected for both the 2024 National Talent-Friendly Cities and Best Talent Development Ecosystem Cities 'Top 50' lists," said Fu Yuyi, Secretary of the Communist Youth League Guiyang Municipal Committee. "Youthful Guiyang is opening its arms wide, looking forward to more young people building dreams, pursuing dreams, and realizing dreams here!"