Toronto-based, Hong Kong-born songwriter Tennyson King shares “Big Mountain High (大山高),” a powerful and emotionally resonant new single that marks a defining moment in his artistic evolution. Blending traditional Chinese instrumentation with modern indie folk and singer-songwriter sensibilities, the track stands as a bold expression of identity, heritage, and creative confidence. It is the first single released from his forthcoming album 100 Cities.

“This was the first song I wrote with the intention of fusing traditional Chinese instruments with western folk music,” Tennyson explains. Inspired by the ancient guqin composition “High Mountains and Flowing Water,” he was struck by its emotional depth. “It made me feel sadness and a sense of power at the same time,” he says. “I knew I wanted to write something inspired by it.”

1. Tell us the story of this song, why did you choose to visualize this song specifically?  

Big Mountain High (大山高) is the first song I wrote when I started working on the fusion of indie folk music and traditional Chinese music. It is inspired by a very well traditional Chinese composition called ‘High Mountains & Flowing Water” written for the oldest known instrument in Chinese history, the Guqin. I was doing a lot of deep listening to traditional Chinese songs and this one spoke to me, the melody, composition and the story. Once I started writing, the song came naturally and it felt like it worked and that this fusion project could actually be done. At the time, I had my doubts and challenges. I combined elements from traditional Chinese instruments, Peking Opera, and indie folk music. I felt like I found a unique sound that no one has done. The lyrics of this song tell a story of embracing the nature and knowledge of our elders, finding connection with others through the voice of song, and passing on our stories through music. I chose to visualize this song because I wanted people to not only hear my culture but be able to see it as well. To share my passions for Chinese pop culture, music culture, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Kung Fu. I also think that because not many people know what these instruments are, or what they look like, hearing it wouldn’t be enough. Seeing them visually performed would be the best way to fully share the art. 

2.What was the inspiration behind this video (visuals, storyline, etc.)? 

We filmed this music video in Taipei, Taiwan, collaborated with a kung fu fashion designer (Fly By Knight), and featured traditional Chinese musicians based in Taiwan. The clothing is special not only because of the collaboration with Fly By Knight but because it uses the ancient design of “through loops” to button up the shirts. This is an ancient practice that was considered a mental meditative practice and also a quick release. The music video is inspired by old 70’s Chinese Kung Fu movies, which is something I’ve always loved. The location is 228 Peace Park in Taipei. We feature performers of Da Gu, Guzheng, and Erhu from Taiwan. The visuals are truly to share more Taiwanese and Chinese culture. It was also filmed while I was on tour in Taiwan.

3.What was the process of making this video?

This music video was filmed and directed by Ewan Mac. I found the location on my previous tour in Taiwan about a year ago and thought it would be a great place for a music video. Fast forward to May 2026, both Ewan and I would be in Taiwan so we planned to shoot the video there. We filmed everything in one morning/afternoon on a weekday at 228 Peace Park which is right near the busy central area of Taipei. There were many people walking around, workers and others doing wedding photos so we had to work around a lot of elements that we didn’t expect. A lot of people ended up just watching us film and perform. It was a hot and sunny day too and both Ewan and I got heat stroke at the end of the day. The video looks so good though so it was all worth it.