Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Culture
Home / Culture / Music and Theater

Instrument at the heart of heritage

By Chen Nan | China Daily Global | Updated: 2025-06-10 08:11
Share
Share - WeChat
Guqin player Wang Peng will participate in cultural events in Romania on June 26 and 27, sharing knowledge of the ancient Chinese musical instrument and its rich cultural history. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Guqin resonates across time as its beauty appeals to a global audience, Chen Nan reports.

For Wang Peng, virtuoso performer of the guqin — a seven-stringed zither — and master artisan of making the ancient Chinese instrument, its quiet resonance transcends both time and space.

The guqin, with its nearly 3,000-year history, does more than produce music. It is woven into the very fabric of Chinese culture. As Wang often says, the guqin is at the heart of this cultural heritage.

On June 26, Wang will participate in a cultural event at the National Museum of Art of Romania, where he will not only showcase the hauntingly subtle music of the instrument but also share the rich cultural history embedded within its sound.

The guqin was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008.

"Described in ancient texts and confirmed by archaeological findings, this instrument has long been inseparable from China's intellectual history," reads the UNESCO website. "It represents China's foremost solo musical instrument tradition."

Wang, 59, says that "the theme of this event resonates deeply with an ancient Chinese folktale about the guqin, known as zhi yin".

The story, which dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC), is about guqin musician Yu Boya, who lived alone in the forest. One day, a passing woodcutter named Zhong Ziqi stopped to listen to his playing. The music stirred vivid images in Zhong's mind — clouds drifting and waterfalls cascading — and they quickly became close friends. The term zhi yin describes this kind of ideal friendship, one built on mutual understanding and an emotional connection that transcends words. When Zhong passed away, Yu was heartbroken. In his grief, he smashed his guqin, knowing that he would never find a listener who could so intuitively understand his music again.

"This story reflects the profound connection between performer and listener, bridged by the guqin," Wang explains. "This instrument is not just about sound; it conveys the deepest emotions, a key element of Chinese cultural identity. When we talk about traditional Chinese culture, the guqin is undoubtedly at its core."

Wang is eager for the event in Romania, which he believes will help the audience truly understand and appreciate its subtle beauty.

On the day following the performance, June 27, Wang will also participate in an event at the Chinese Cultural Center in Bucharest, Romania's capital.

A dedicated advocate for the guqin, Wang has spent decades working to preserve and promote this ancient instrument on the global stage. Not only is he a renowned performer and skilled guqin maker, but he also considers himself a modern transmitter of the instrument's profound cultural philosophy.

His passion for the guqin began during his studies at the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in the 1980s, where he developed a deep affection for both the instrument and the literati lifestyle it represents. Wang has since restored over 100 ancient guqin instruments, including several dating back to the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties. The guqin used during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics was also crafted by him.

Liu Xiaogang (right), a xiao (traditional wind instrument) player with guqin ensemble Jun Tian Fang, will join Wang's cultural events in Romania. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In 2001, Wang founded Jun Tian Fang, a guqin ensemble and cultural heritage center dedicated to the preservation and study of the instrument. The ensemble also serves as a platform for education and cultural exchange.

From 2016 to 2018, Jun Tian Fang collaborated with artists from Australia and England on a music and dance production titled One Infinity, a groundbreaking attempt to share the instrument's unique cultural narrative on the international stage.

"My greatest ambition has always been to craft the finest guqin possible," says Wang. "That was the original inspiration behind founding Jun Tian Fang — to create an instrument with both beautiful sound and elegant form.

"Over time, I've come to realize that the guqin is more than a craft or a musical technique," he says. "It is a cultural vessel rich with philosophy, aesthetics, and deep ideological meaning. That's why Jun Tian Fang is not just a workshop. It's become a center for education, performance and cultural exchange, where we not only build instruments but also share the tradition with people from around the world."

During his visit to Romania, Wang will be accompanied by a member of Jun Tian Fang, xiao player Liu Xiaogang.

Liu is also a national inheritor of the traditional wind instrument that has been used in Chinese music for thousands of years, typically producing a deep, resonant sound.

Beyond performances and speeches, Wang's visit carries a deeper message: the revival of an aesthetic way of life that transcends cultural boundaries.

"The guqin is not just a Chinese treasure; it's a universal invitation to slow down, listen, and reflect," he says. "In a world that often prioritizes speed and spectacle, the guqin offers a space for quietude and depth.

Most Popular
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲中久无码永久在线观看同| 国产亚AV手机在线观看| 中文字幕人妻中文AV不卡专区| 欧美国产成人精品一区二区三区| 午夜黄色一级片| 国产精品亚洲自在线播放页码| 大香焦伊人久久| 中文字幕日韩一区二区不卡| 欧美乱强伦xxxxx高潮| 偷窥无罪之诱人犯罪| 青草热在线精品视频99app| 国产精自产拍久久久久久蜜| 一级毛片成人午夜| 日韩中文字幕网| 亚洲日本一区二区三区在线不卡 | 嫩草影院在线播放| 久久精品国产只有精品2020| 欧美裸体xxxx极品少妇| 动漫人物差差差免费动漫在线观看| 香蕉免费在线视频| 国产精品亚洲а∨天堂2021| eeuss免费影院| 手机看片福利久久| 久久精品无码一区二区日韩av| 欧美日韩国产va另类| 伊人影院中文字幕| 美女免费视频黄的| 国产伦精品一区二区三区四区| 亚洲精品aaa| 国产精品麻豆高清在线观看| h无遮挡男女激烈动态图| 成人欧美一区二区三区的电影| 久久伊人精品一区二区三区| 桃花影院www视频播放| 亚洲最大免费视频网| 特级欧美老少乱配| 午夜91理论片| 色吊丝最新网站| 国产午夜av秒播在线观看| 四虎国产精品高清在线观看 | 亚洲丶国产丶欧美一区二区三区|