The Chieftains in China

The Chieftains in China is an album released by the Irish musical group The Chieftains in 1985. In 1983, the Chieftains were the first Irish musicians to visit China and the first ever Western musical group to play on the Great Wall of China. The album was the end result of this trip and was recorded in China and Hong Kong by Brian Masterson of Windmill Lane Studios. In 1980, diplomats from the Chinese Embassy in London attended Royal Albert Hall for "The Sense of Ireland" festival, where the Chieftains were performing. The diplomats had enjoyed the performance so much that they invited the band to visit China on a musical tour. As China had no embassy in Ireland at the time this was problematic. When full diplomatic relations between Ireland and China were established in 1981, Moloney planned the trip with Chinese ambassadors and sent copies of Irish music to various Chinese orchestras. The Chieftains were one of the first groups from the West to visit China and became the first ever Western group to play on the Great Wall of China. While in China the group performed with various Chinese folk orchestras, as well as more impromptu performances with local musicians. The Chieftains in China is a compilation of the songs played while the Chieftains visited China. It was released two years after the tour.