This study examined the effects of the Musical Times Exercise (MTE) intervention in alleviating depression symptoms for cognitively imparied Chinese older adults at risk for depression.Using a single-blind randomized controlled trial design, forty-two older participants were randomly assigned to MTE or a control group. . Outcomes included the Geriatric Depression Scale the Beijing version Montreal Cognitive Assessment and the Barthel Index. Compared to controls, the MTE groupshowed greater reduction in depressive symptoms (t = -4.725, p < .01) and more improvements in physical functioning (t = 4.288, p < .05), while cognitive changes were not significant. Future research with a larger sample size across care facilities are warranted.