Beijing

In October 2004, Jarre was invited back to China to launch the Year of France, a cultural exchange between the two countries.

Given his long history with China, which dates back to 1981 when he became the first Western musician to perform there after the Mao era, he was the natural choice to introduce French culture to a Chinese audience.

He was offered two historic venues. The main concert took place within the Forbidden City, and because space inside its walls was limited, the finale moved out to Tiananmen Square so the wider public could share in the event.

The concert's major breakthrough was that the music was performed live in 5.1 surround sound, immersing the audience completely and allowing for striking spatial effects. Jarre brought his full artistic arsenal to bear, from the laser harp and theremin to high-definition video, though fireworks were ruled out to protect the priceless wooden architecture of the ancient city. He was joined by a symphony orchestra and a traditional Chinese orchestra, performing spectacular new arrangements of his compositions that drew on the distinctive character of traditional Chinese instruments.

China's national television broadcast the concert live across the country and around the world to a record audience of more than a billion viewers. The DVD release of the show became the first concert ever to receive THX certification.