Ten Minutes of Music in ICU Moves Thousands Online

Music is rarely heard in an intensive care unit.

But inside the ICU at Dongguan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, violinist Tang Xing was allowed into the ICU for 10 minutes at a son's request, to play one last song for his mother.

The performance was arranged shortly after the woman was admitted to the ICU on December 30. The video of the performance later went viral online, moving thousands of viewers.

Tang said the request struck a personal chord. Eight years earlier, his own mother died suddenly. He was away when she fell ill, and by the time he returned, she had already passed.

"Not seeing her for the last time is one of my biggest regrets," he said. "When I heard about the request, I agreed without hesitation."

When Tang entered the ICU, the woman's eyes were half open. The piece Mother by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi had been chosen by her son. Tang did not ask about her condition beyond confirming she was conscious.

He played quietly beside the bed. When the music ended, he noticed a slight movement.

"I'm certain she knew what was happening," he said.

The woman passed away several days later, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, according to a social media post shared by her son.

"I couldn't help but cry when I saw it," Tang said.

Tang does not believe music can change life or death. But he believes it can change how people say goodbye.

The video, recorded by hospital staff without Tang's request, spread widely online. Many viewers left comments describing their own experiences of loss and unfinished farewells.

"That's when I realized the music had become an emotional outlet for people who watched it," he said.

If asked to do something similar again, Tang said he would not hesitate.

"I genuinely hoped the mother would recover," Tang said. "But if music can offer companionship and support at such a moment, then it has fulfilled its purpose."