The mixed trio Ning was commissioned by the Chamber Music Society of Minnesota and the Barlow Endowment for Music Composition at Brigham Young University, for the concert Hun Qiao (Bridge of Souls—A Concert of Remembrance and Reconciliation), to commemorate the little-known Asian Pacific Conflict of World War II. It was premiered by Young-Nam Kim, Yo-Yo Ma, and Wu Man on May 30th, 2001, at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Chinese character “Ning” is another name of the city Nanjing, the capital of China during the World War II.
Chen wrote this work in remembrance of the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. The music is composed in a dramatic shape, symbolizing the sounds of violence and tragedy, meditation and illusive fantasy. It is performed on bowed and plucked instruments, combining unique styles and performing techniques in the music of East and West in abstract form and texture.