Passion for traditional zither grows in central China's once barren land

ZHENGZHOU, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Every evening between Tuesday and Sunday, Liu Wan, under the nickname "Teacher Wanwan," livestreams herself teaching the Guzheng -- a traditional Chinese plucked board zither -- online in her studio in Lankao County, central China's Henan Province.

Lankao is widely known in China as a former barren and impoverished land where, in the 1960s, the renowned county Party secretary Jiao Yulu dedicated his life to combating sandstorms, waterlogging, and saline-alkali soil -- problems that many believe stemmed from the Yellow River's historical course changes and breaches in the area.

What many people do not know, however, is that Lankao is now a hub for Chinese musical instrument production, relying on the light, porous and highly resonant wood of paulownia -- these sand-tolerant trees were first promoted for large-scale planting by Jiao and have since become a dominant planted tree species in the county.

Liu's Guzheng teaching livestreams are a part of the industry. In addition to Guzheng lessons, she also engages in customized Guzheng production and selling. Her live teaching videos are free and open to everyone to attract potential buyers, and viewers who would like to buy one can click the links in her livestreaming room.

"People don't need to buy a Guzheng to watch my videos, but those who have bought the products can enjoy more personalized guidance on Guzheng playing as after-sales services," Liu explained.

According to Wu Sijin, an official with the Lankao Chinese Musical Instrument Development Center, such a livestream model has become common across the Chinese musical instrument industry in the county.

"Livestreams mainly target individual clients, in addition to the original offline sales services that mainly target (music) training institutions," she said.

Lankao now has over 200 enterprises producing more than 20 varieties of instruments, including Guzheng, Pipa and Erhu, as well as supporting products like soundboards and stools.

Wu noted that almost every musical instrument brand in Lankao has collaborated with professional performers who work as livestreamers. The livestreams not only promote their Chinese musical instrument products but also showcase the rich culture behind them.

Liu, who started to play Guzheng from a young age and has engaged in livestreaming for about seven years, uses her live videos to share her passion for traditional Chinese music with people from across China and the rest of the world.

"Many of my students, including those who are Chinese living overseas, have an appreciation for traditional Chinese music in nature. Guzheng, regarded as comparatively easy to pick up and pleasing, is an ideal option to learn," she said.

The majority of Liu's students are retirees, mostly females. Many have long had a desire to learn an instrument, but until retirement, they lacked the time and resources to pursue this passion.

Jin Hong, 55, from the eastern Chinese city of Yangzhou, was able to chase her dream of handling a traditional Chinese musical instrument after her daughter entered university.

Jin began learning to play the Guzheng by following Liu's live videos about two years ago. Starting from scratch, she can now play entire pieces.

"It's necessary to encourage these retirees, teaching them from the very basics and showing them that they can learn to play the Guzheng as long as they can use pens and chopsticks," Liu said. "As they have gained confidence, they can keep learning and improving."

She believes that selling Guzhengs is important, but it is even more crucial to ensure that buyers know how to play them. "Otherwise, the instrument cannot truly realize its value," said Liu, who has taught over 100,000 students and began her own Guzheng brand in 2023.

For this reason, Liu also launched offline Guzheng training programs. She currently offers five sessions a year, each lasting one week, during which students travel to Lankao for in-person instruction.

Hu Lihua, a 66-year-old retiree from northwest China's Xi'an, is one of the offline students who participated in the latest session. Hu began to learn the Guzheng two years ago after being amazed by the instrument's impressive timbre at a senior university, and she often watches Liu's online lessons during her spare time.

"From the lessons, I know that there's a 'music town' in Lankao, and I decided to come here to join the training," she said.

The Lankao Music Town is a Chinese musical instrument industrial park set up in 2013, covering a total area of 321 hectares. It represents one of the key initiatives of the Lankao government to create a comprehensive industrial chain encompassing instrument manufacturing, e-commerce, and music training.

In recent years, Music Town has cooperated with art schools, leading instrument manufacturers and tourism enterprises to promote the integrated development of the musical instrument industry with culture and tourism.

In November 2024, the Lankao Chinese Musical Instrument Development Center was set up as part of these efforts. "We are working to further integrate resources, strengthen industry support, and attract investment across the industrial chain," said Wu, the official with the center.

"As the Lankao Music Town gains greater fame and its environment continues to improve, many of my students from across the country would like to come and experience the atmosphere of traditional Chinese musical instruments here," Liu said.

In Music Town, Liu has rented a venue that provides accommodation, dining, and instrument practice facilities for her students, and she looks forward to welcoming even more Guzheng enthusiasts in the years to come.

"I wish to let more Guzheng lovers know about Lankao and inspire them to come here -- whether to study, to exchange, or simply to visit and explore," she said. ■